Citation Nr: 18156900
Decision Date: 12/11/18	Archive Date: 12/11/18

DOCKET NO. 15-31 642
DATE:	December 11, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from June 1970 to December 1971.
1. Entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
On his substantive appeal, received in October 2017, the Veteran reported that he had filed for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and he asked that copies of his SSDI records be obtained.  The SSDI records are not in the file and there is no indication that a request has been made to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to obtain such records.  Such records are potentially relevant to the Veteran’s claim on appeal.  Accordingly, the Veteran’s claim must be remanded so that the SSDI records may be obtained and considered.  See Murincsak v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 363, 369-70 (1992).
The claim was remanded by the Board in August 2018 to obtain the Veteran’s February 2016 VA audiology testing results.  Although a February 2016 audiometric graph was obtained, the audiological report is not in a format that allows the Board to rate the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss according to the rating schedule.  On remand the Veteran should be provided a new VA audiology examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss and so that the audiologist can review the February 2016 VA audiology report and list the puretone thresholds shown for each ear at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz in numerical form.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Request the Veteran’s SSDI records from SSA.  All attempts to obtain the SSA records must be documented in the claims file.  If the records are unavailable, SSA should so indicate.  The Veteran is to be notified of any unsuccessful efforts in this regard, in order to allow him the opportunity to obtain and submit those records for VA review.


							(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
 
2. Arrange for a VA audiological examination of the Veteran to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.  The examiner is specifically requested to fully describe the functional effects caused by the Veteran’s hearing loss disability.  The examiner is also asked to examine the February 8, 2016 VA audiometric graph and list in numerical form the Veteran’s puretone thresholds shown for each ear at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz.

 
G. A. WASIK
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	R. E. Jones, Counsel