Citation Nr: 22018478
Decision Date: 03/29/22	Archive Date: 03/29/22

DOCKET NO. 17-59 223
DATE: March 29, 2022

REMANDED

Entitlement to an increased initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served active duty in the United States Coast Guard from February 1965 to February 1969.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal of a February 2016 rating decision which granted service connection with a noncompensable disability rating for hearing loss. The Veteran testified at a Board hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in November 2021. The Veteran alleged that his hearing had worsened since his last VA audiological examination in 2016. The record was left open for 30 days in order for the Veteran to submit the results of a private audiological evaluation. 

A private examination was submitted from April 2019; however, this testing did not contain Maryland CNC speech discrimination testing which is used in evaluating hearing loss for VA rating purposes. In December 2021, the Veteran submitted the results of a VA audiological evaluation. However, the evaluation report states plainly that the results were not adequate for rating purposes. 

As the Veteran had alleged a worsening of his bilateral hearing loss at the November 2021 hearing, the Board finds that a remand to provide the Veteran with a new examination is warranted. 

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

Schedule the Veteran for a VA audiological examination with an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

 

 

A. P. SIMPSON

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.