Citation Nr: 21030177 Decision Date: 05/18/21 Archive Date: 05/18/21 DOCKET NO. 17-55 198 DATE: May 18, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from September 1968 to March 1971. A Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) hearing was held in August 2020 via videoconference. A transcript of the hearing is contained within the claims file. The Veteran is seeking entitlement to an initial compensable rating for his service-connect for bilateral hearing loss. Review of the record reveals that a remand is required in order to provide a new VA audiological examination. To that end, the Board notes that the Veteran's most recent and pertinent VA audiological examination took place in April 2017. Audiological testing revealed the following results: Frequency 500 Hz 1000 Hz 2000 Hz 3000 Hz 4000 Hz Right 70 65 75 70 80 Left 10 15 35 25 40 Additionally, Maryland CNC Speech Discrimination testing yielded scores of 94 percent for the right ear and 98 percent for the left ear. The Veteran's medical treatment records suggest that his hearing loss may have worsened since his previous VA examination. See Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121 (1991); Schafrath v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 589 (1991); see also Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997). Specifically, the treatment records show that the Veteran was issued hearing aids in November 2017. At the Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his hearing loss has worsened, and he has difficulty hearing certain people, depending on the pitch of their voice. The Veteran also testified that he has had surgery on his right ear and that hearing in his right ear is significantly worse than his left ear. As such, a contemporaneous VA audiological examination is warranted. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: 1. The Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) should obtain copies of all pertinent, outstanding records from the VA Medical Center and its associated clinics where the Veteran receives treatment. If any pertinent private treatment has been rendered, the Veteran's assistance in obtaining these records should be requested, as needed. All attempts to obtain records should be documented in the claims folder. 2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA audiological examination with an examiner of appropriate expertise to ascertain the current nature and severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The claims file should be made available to and be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with the examination. The VA examiner must fully describe the functional effects caused by the bilateral hearing loss disability in the final report. The examiner should comment, as needed, on the findings and opinions of other examiners, which appear in the record. In addition, the examiner should acknowledge, address, consider, and discuss all lay evidence in the record pertaining to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including the Veteran's August 2020 Board hearing testimony, his lay statements and the lay statements and testimony of his wife, as well as the Veteran's reports to providers, as they appear throughout the record. Findings should be reconciled with other records on file to the extent possible. 3. After the development requested has been completed, the AOJ should review the expanded record to ensure complete compliance with the directives of this REMAND. If any report is deficient in any manner, implement corrective procedures at once. MICHAEL D. LYON Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board J. Frazier, Associate Attorney 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.