Citation Nr: 21005164 Decision Date: 01/29/21 Archive Date: 01/29/21 DOCKET NO. 17-32 361 DATE: January 29, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active duty service from October 1963 to August 1966. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a June 2015 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran testified at a virtual hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in December 2020. A transcript of that hearing has been associated with the claims file. The Veteran was most recently afforded a VA examination in connection with his claim in May 2015. During his December 2020 hearing, the Veteran reported worsening of symptoms for his disorder. VA’s General Counsel has indicated that, when a claimant asserts that the severity of a disability has increased since the most recent rating examination, an additional examination is appropriate. VAOPGCPREC 11-95 (April 7, 1995); see also Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997); Caffrey v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 377 (1994). Therefore, the Board finds that an additional VA examination is required to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of his service-connected hearing loss. Additionally, the Board notes that VA medical records dated June 2014 appear to reference an audiogram, however, the actual audiogram was not associated with the claims file. Upon remand, the AOJ should obtain any audiogram report(s) performed by VA and associate them with the claims file. Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action: 1. The agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) should request that the Veteran provide the names and addresses of any and all health care providers who have provided treatment for the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss. After acquiring this information and obtaining any necessary authorization, the AOJ should obtain and associate these records with the claims file. Any outstanding VA medical records should also be obtained and associated with the claims file, to include all audiograms and/or audiogram reports, including the audiogram performed in June 2014. 2. After the above development has been completed, the Veteran should be afforded a VA examination to determine the severity and manifestation of his bilateral hearing loss. Any and all studies, tests, and evaluations deemed necessary by the examiner should be performed. The examiner is requested to review all pertinent records associated with the claims file. Specifically, the results of the audiological evaluation must state, in numbers, the findings of puretone decibel loss at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz , provide the puretone threshold average, and must also state the results of the word recognition test, in percentages, using the Maryland CNC test. The examiner must also fully describe the functional effects caused by the hearing disability in the report. A clear rationale for all opinions would be helpful and a discussion of the facts and medical principles involved would be of considerable assistance to the Board. Copies of all pertinent records in the appellant’s claims file, or, in the alternative, the entire claims file, must be made available to the examiner for review. Nathaniel Doan Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board B. Rideout-Davidson, 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.