Citation Nr: 18150169
Decision Date: 11/14/18	Archive Date: 11/14/18

DOCKET NO. 15-00 964
DATE:	November 14, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran had active service from June 1971 until June 1973.  
This matter come to the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2011 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).  A hearing was held before the undersigned Veteran’s Law Judge in May 2018 and a copy of the transcript from that hearing has been associated with the claims file.
Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.
The Veteran submitted a private audiological examination from July 2018 which shows a potentially compensable level of hearing loss.  However, it is not clear from the information submitted whether the Maryland CNC test was used for speech recognition testing as required under 38 C.F.R. § 4.85.  There is also not a clear indication that the decibel evaluation of the Veteran’s hearing was conducted using a puretone audiometry test.  Therefore, remand is necessary to obtain the complete examination results.
Additionally, the Veteran underwent audiological testing in March 2013, October 2014 and again in February 2016, relating to continuing care for his hearing aids.  These results indicate speech word recognition thresholds below those recorded on the most recent Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination.  The Veteran’s record indicates that the results were scanned and available for viewing via VISTA imaging, however it does not appear that these test results have been made a part of the record at this time. 
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Advise the Veteran that he may submit any additional medical and non-medical evidence relating to his bilateral hearing loss that is not already in VA’s possession.
Specifically request authorization to obtain the July 2018 audiological examination results from Brevard Hearing Center, LLC. 
If authorization to obtain the records is granted, the RO should expressly ask whether the Maryland CNC test was used to determine speech recognition results for the audiological examination.  Also inquire if a puretone audiometry test was used. 
2. Obtain all VA audiological test results for the Veteran.  The results of the March 2013, October 2014, and February 2016 and any others listed in the Veteran’s treatment records should be obtained from VISTA Imaging.  
3. If the above actions do not yield results, afford the Veteran a VA examination to evaluate the severity of his hearing loss disability. The claims file and VBMS file must be made available to and reviewed by the examiner and any indicated studies should be performed. After examining the Veteran, the examiner should review the results of the private examination and report them in the manner compliant with VA requirements. 
 
MARJORIE A. AUER
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	J. Middleton, Associate Counsel