Citation Nr: 21001456 Decision Date: 01/08/21 Archive Date: 01/08/21 DOCKET NO. 19-32 643 DATE: January 8, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ear hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from November 1963 to October 1965. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) from an October 2018 rating decision from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran appeared for a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in November 2020. A transcript of the proceeding is of record. Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ear hearing loss is remanded. At the November 2020 Board hearing, the Veteran raised the issue of extra schedular consideration for his hearing loss, arguing that he is entitled to at least a 60 percent rating in his left ear alone based on symptomatology and functional impairment that presents an unusual or exceptional disability picture. Additionally, though the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability in the right ear at the most recent VA examination, the Veteran alleged a worsening in severity of hearing loss in right ear since then. The Veteran is service connected for hearing loss in his left ear only, with a rating of 10 percent. However, 38 C.F.R. § 3.383 (a)(3) provides that compensation is payable for the combinations of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities (here the Veteran’s service-connected left ear and nonservice-connected right ear) as if both were service-connected where the hearing impairment in the service-connected ear is compensable to a degree of 10 percent or more and the Veteran has a hearing loss disability as defined in § 3.385 in the nonservice-connected ear. Thus, this claim must be remanded for further development regarding the current severity of the Veteran’s service-connected hearing loss, to include whether his right ear hearing loss constitutes a disability under § 3.385. Thereafter, the AOJ should determine whether the Veteran is eligible for extraschedular consideration of his hearing loss. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain updated VA treatment records. 2. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of his service-connected left ear hearing loss and nonservice-connected right ear hearing loss. The examiner should provide a full description of the disability and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran’s disability under the rating criteria. To the extent possible, the RO should schedule the examination to be conducted in Iowa, near the Veteran’s residence.   3. Thereafter, the RO should specifically consider whether referral is warranted for extraschedular consideration. Nathaniel J. Doan Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board K.L. Blevins, 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.