Citation Nr: 21032206
Decision Date: 05/26/21	Archive Date: 05/26/21

DOCKET NO. 16-46 100
DATE: May 26, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to an increased rating for hearing loss, rated as non-compensable prior to March 6, 2018 and 20 percent disabling thereafter, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran had active service from November 1965 to November 1968.

In December 2019, the Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge.  A transcript of the hearing has been reviewed.  

The Board previously remanded this appeal for additional development in August 2020.

Entitlement to an increased rating for hearing loss, rated as non-compensable prior to March 6, 2018 and 20 percent disabling thereafter, is remanded.

The case was previously remanded in August 2020.  The remand instructed the AOJ to obtain private audiology records and a VA audiological evaluation dated in December 2019.  Private medical records were associated with the claims file in September 2020.  A VA audiological evaluation dated in December 2019 was included in VA treatment records that were associated with the claims folder in October 2020.

However, the December 2019 examination evaluated speech discrimination using the speech reception threshold (SRT), rather than the Maryland CNC test.  As it does not appear that the required Maryland CNC list was used for speech discrimination, the Board finds that a new VA examination is necessary.  

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

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.  

 

 

JENNIFER HWA

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	Catherine Cykowski

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.