Citation Nr: 21070067 Decision Date: 11/22/21 Archive Date: 11/22/21 DOCKET NO. 18-48 919 DATE: November 22, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from January 1964 to December 1967. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from a July 2017 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran requested a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge. He was scheduled for hearings on multiple occasions; these all appear to have been postponed. Most recently, he was scheduled for a Board hearing in September 2021. An internal document reflects his representative experienced 'IT problems' and was to submit a statement to cancel the hearing. In October 2021, the Board sent written notice requesting the Veteran to select a hearing option within 30 days or it would be assumed that he no longer desired a hearing. No response was received. Therefore, the Board considers the hearing request withdrawn. See 38 C.F.R. § 20.704 (d). This appeal has been advanced on the Board's docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 20.800 (c). Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss. He underwent in-service audiograms in November 1963, October 1964, December 1966, and November 1967. As it relates to VA examinations and VA records, audiological reports were routinely converted from International Standards Organization-American National Standards Institute (ISO-ANSI) results to American Standards Association (ASA) units until the end of 1975 because the regulatory standard for evaluating hearing loss was not changed to require ISO-ANSI units until September 9, 1975. When it is unclear whether such thresholds were recorded using ASA units or ISO-ANSI units, the Board will consider the recorded metrics under both standards, relying on the unit measurements most favorable to the Veteran's appeal. Where necessary to facilitate data comparison for VA purposes in a decision, including under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385, audiometric data originally recorded using ASA standards will be converted to ISO-ANSI standards by adding between 5 and 15 decibels to the recorded data as follows: Hertz 250 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000 8000 add 15 15 10 10 10 5 10 10 A VA examination was obtained in June 2017; however, it is unclear whether the examiner considered the converted audiogram results from ASA to ISO-ANSI when evaluating the results of the audiogram. The examiner did not indicate that they were converted, and the Board can find no basis to assume that they were. The Board has no way to know whether the examiner's opinion would have changed if the converted standards had been considered. Accordingly, a remand is required for consideration of the results of the Veteran's in service audiograms under both ASA and ISO-ANSI. The Board has provided the conversion to ISO-ANSI standards of the Veteran's entrance and separation tests in parentheses. On the authorized audiological evaluation in November 1963 for enlistment pure tone thresholds, in decibels, were as follows: HERTZ 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 RIGHT -5 (10) 0 (10) -5 (5) 10 (20) -5 (0) LEFT 5 (20) 0 (10) 5 (15) 10 (20) 0 (5) On the authorized audiological evaluation in November 1967, pure tone thresholds, in decibels, were as follows: HERTZ 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 RIGHT -10 (5) -10 (0) -5 (5) 5 (15) 5 (10) LEFT -10 (5) -5 (5) -5 (5) 10 (20) 15 (20) The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. A complete rationale must be provided for all proffered opinions. The examiner is advised that the Board has provided the adjusted audiometric test results from the service enlistment and discharge examinations. The audiologist must consider these results and use the most favorable converted readings in formation of the opinion. Additionally, the examiner must consider the Veteran's statements as to the onset of bilateral hearing loss and the continuity of symptoms since onset. D. JOHNSON Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board M.Aoughsten, 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.