Citation Nr: 21031510
Decision Date: 05/24/21	Archive Date: 05/24/21

DOCKET NO. 14-33 371
DATE: May 24, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to an initial rating higher than 0 percent prior to August 1, 2017 for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

Entitlement to a rating higher than 50 percent since August 1, 2017 for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from April 1964 to December 1966.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a June 2013 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Jackson, Mississippi, which granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss effective February 28, 2012, and assigned an initial 0 percent rating.  An August 2017 rating decision granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss effective August 1, 2017, which is the date of a VA examination showing that the criteria for that evaluation were satisfied.  The Board remanded the matter in September 2018 and January 2021.

VA treatment records from the Hampton VA Medical Center (VAMC) reflect that the Veteran was seen by audiology for hearing testing in March 2016 and May 2016.  While the results are generally discussed, the actual test results, including the puretone thresholds from 1000 through 4000 Hertz, are not provided in these records.  On remand, the testing reports themselves must be obtained and added to the file.  Often these must be separately accessed.  

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

Add to the file the audiometry testing resultsin particular, the puretone thresholds and speech discrimination scoresfrom the March 2016 and May 2016 audiology consultations at the Hampton VAMC.  

 

 

P.M. DILORENZO

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	J. Rutkin, 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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.