Citation Nr: 20004182 Decision Date: 01/16/20 Archive Date: 01/16/20 DOCKET NO. 18-48 870 DATE: January 16, 2020 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Air Force from November 1977 to November 1981, April 1983 to August 1983, September 1983 to June 1984, and March 1986 to June 1986, with additional Reserve service. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a December 2016 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In this regard, new and material evidence was associated with the record within the one year appeal period of that decision, and the Veteran appealed the subsequent rating decision considering this evidence. Given the Veteran’s report of psychiatric symptoms associated with his bilateral hearing loss, the Board finds that additional development is necessary to determine etiology and functional impairment caused by such symptoms. Therefore, the duty to obtain a VA examination and opinion is necessary on remand. Morgan v. Wilkie, 31 Vet. App. 162 (2019) (the Board should consider all schedular alternatives for compensating a veteran, including secondary service connection). Any outstanding VA and private treatment records should also be secured. The matter is REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Obtain all outstanding VA treatment records. 2. With any necessary assistance from the Veteran, obtain any outstanding relevant private treatment records. If such records cannot be obtained, the Veteran should be notified in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(e). 3. Then schedule the Veteran for a VA examination with a psychiatrist or psychologist to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, tobacco use disorder, and alcohol use disorder. See January 2017, May 2017, November 2017, December 2017, January 2018, May 2018, August 2018 VA Treatment Records. Please also consider the Veteran’s psychiatric hospitalization. See November 2017 VA Medical Center Report of Hospitalization; see also December 2017, January 2018 VA Treatment Records. The entire claims file should be made available to the examiner. All findings should be reported in detail. Following a review of the claims file, the examiner should opine as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorder: (a) is proximately due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss; or (b) has been aggravated (worsened beyond natural progression) by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. (c) If a psychiatric disorder is service-connected but a substance abuse disorder is not, please also opine as to whether the Veteran’s substance abuse disorder(s) is/are: (1) proximately due to or (2) aggravated by that psychiatric disorder. In addressing these questions, please note there is no temporal requirement that the primary condition (bilateral hearing loss) be service-connected, or even diagnosed, at the time the secondary condition (psychiatric disorder) is incurred, and reliance on this fact will render any opinion inadequate. Please provide a complete rationale based on medical principles to support any conclusions reached. S. BUSH Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board M. Ramirez, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.