Citation Nr: 21023482 Decision Date: 04/20/21 Archive Date: 04/20/21 DOCKET NO. 18-06 122 DATE: April 20, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from December 1965 to December 1968. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a May 2017 rating decision issued by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). A virtual hearing was held before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) in March 2021. A transcript of that proceeding has been associated with the claims file. The Veteran’s representative argues that it was unclear whether a VA examiner used the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test when evaluating the Veteran’s hearing loss. Specifically, the May 2017 VA examination report indicates that the Maryland CNC test was used; however, the audiological evaluation from that same date does not indicate which speech audiometry test was used. See VAMC reports received December 2017. Indeed, other audiological evaluations conducted at VAMC Mann-Grandstaff in April 2009, October 2012, September 2013, January 2014, September 2015, August 2016, and December 2016 indicate that the examining audiologist used the Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6, or NU-6. Because the accompanying audiogram does not specify what test was used, and in light of the arguments put forth by the Veteran’s representative, the duty to assist requires the VA to seek clarification of evidence. Savage v. Shinseki, 24 Vet. App. 259, 270-72 (2011). See also Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 312 (2007) (when VA undertakes to provide a VA examination or obtain a VA opinion, it must ensure that the examination or opinion is adequate). In addition, the Veteran has alleged that his hearing acuity has appreciably worsened since the most recent VA examination in 2017. See March 2021 Board hearing transcript. VA’s statutory duty to assist the Veteran includes the duty to conduct a thorough examination so that the evaluation of the claimed disability will be a fully informed one. Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121 (1991); Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400 (1997) (a veteran is entitled to a new examination where there is evidence that the condition may have worsened since the last examination). Assistance by VA includes providing a medical examination or obtaining a medical opinion when an examination or opinion is necessary to make a decision on a claim. 38 U.S.C. § 5103A(d); 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(4). Therefore, the Board finds that the Veteran should be afforded a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. Obtain all relevant, outstanding VA treatment records. 2. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral 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. 3. Attempt to obtain clarification from the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC whether the examiner who performed the May 2017 audiometric test used the Maryland CNC test. If that VAMC cannot confirm the Maryland CNC test was used, a formal finding noting steps taken to obtain clarification must be included in the claims file. M. Donohue Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board D.S. Chilcote, 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.