Citation Nr: 21071344 Decision Date: 11/30/21 Archive Date: 11/30/21 DOCKET NO. 17-50 027A DATE: November 30, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric condition is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from March 1966 to February 1968. These matters come before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a November 2013 rating decision. In July 2021, the Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. A transcript of the hearing has been associated with the record. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records. The Veteran testified during the hearing that he has continued to receive treatment at a VA facility but the most recent VA treatment records within the claims file is from February 2018. 1. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The Board finds that remand is required for a VA examination. The Veteran was most recently afforded an examination for hearing loss in December 2015. At that time, the examiner opined that the Veteran had some sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. The examiner opined that it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss was a result of military noise exposure. However, while the December 2015 VA examination may have documented that the Veteran had some level of bilateral hearing loss, the results of his audiological examination did not document that he had a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes. See 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. The Veteran subsequently testified that his hearing has been getting worse and testing from the November 2013 to December 2015 VA audiological examinations indicated shifts in hearing. Therefore, the Board finds that a new VA examination is warranted to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for a hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation. 2. Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric condition is remanded. The Board finds that remand is warranted for a VA opinion. The Veteran underwent a VA examination in November 2013. At the time, the Veteran did not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, but he was diagnosed with a primary insomnia and anxiety. The examiner did not provide any nexus opinion. A remand is necessary in order for an examiner to address whether the Veteran's primary insomnia and anxiety are related to his active-duty service, and to address December 2015 and January 2017 VA medical records that include the diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and mood disorder. For purposes of a PTSD stressor, military records showed the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam, therefore, a PTSD stressor based on fear of hostile military or terrorist activity was conceded. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Contact the appropriate VA Medical Center(s) and obtain and associate with the claims file all outstanding records of treatment. 2. Schedule the Veteran for an audiological evaluation to determine whether he has hearing loss for VA purposes pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. As there is a positive nexus already of record, an additional medical opinion is not necessary. 3. After any additional records are associated with the claims file, provide the Veteran with an appropriate examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric condition. The entire claims file must be made available to and be reviewed by the examiner. Any indicated tests and studies must be accomplished, and all clinical findings must be reported in detail and correlated to a specific diagnosis. An explanation for all opinions expressed must be provided. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion regarding whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that any diagnosed psychiatric condition had onset in, or is otherwise related to, active military service. (Continued on the next page) The examiner is asked to address all diagnoses of record. H.M. WALKER Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board AK 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.