Tdiu Alternative Facts From Va Medical Examiner
Here, the VA examiner I spoke with made the following claims:
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Factors We Looked At When Compiling Our List Of Hearing Aids
The Reputation of the Manufacturer:
This is the first thing we looked at when we compiled our list of hearing aids. The company must have been in operation for a long enough period of time for them to have gathered a reputation among customers and reviewers.;;
The Programmability of the Devices:
The best devices available today and the ones we have mentioned are all programmable. This is very important as not everyone will have the same needs from their hearing aid device. The device needs to be customizable according to the needs of the user.;
After Sales Service:
The next thing that we factored in a while recommending the devices is the service provided by the Manufacturer. This is very important as patients will often need to get their device programmed by a specialist a few times after buying the device. This is important because it can take some time for people to figure out their devices and try out different settings to see what works best for them. So, as you can see, service is an essential part of the whole hearing aid experience, and you can rest assured that the ones listed in this article will give you;good;service.;
Price:
The last factor that we considered when compiling our list is the price of the devices. Hearing aids can be expensive, but that is not the only thing that should inform your decision. However, we have still looked at what the market has to offer regarding price relative to quality.;
How To Apply For Va Disability Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs recommends eligible Veterans apply for disability compensation benefits through the VA’s eBenefits online portal. However, Veterans may also apply by mail with VA Form 21-526EZ, in person at your regional benefits office, or with help from a trained professional.
In any case, you will need access to your DD214 , the medical evidence of the disability, and dependency records .
If you have yet to separate from service, you may still apply using the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program. To be eligible for the BDD, you must:
- Be on full-time active duty , and
- Have a known separation date, and
- Your separation date is in the next 90 to 180 days
If you have less than 90 days until separation, you may still file a fully developed or standard claim.
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How The Va Rates Service
For a Veteran to receive disability benefits for hearing loss, the VA must be able to establish service connection for the condition. If the VA can confirm that your hearing damage resulted from your military service, they will rate your disability based on its severity. After the VA has established a service connection and approved your claim, you can start receiving tax-free monthly disability payments.
Hearing loss can range in severity, and some Veterans may be more disabled by their service-connected loss of hearing than others. If a Veteran is completely deaf due to service-related factors, they are far more likely to receive the maximum disability rating than a Veteran who is only partially hearing-impaired.;
In addition, the VAs disability benefits run on a rating scale between 10 percent and 100 percent, increasing in increments of ten. This means that there are nine different ratings that a deaf or hard of hearing Veteran can receive the VA will choose whichever rating they feel most accurately reflects the severity of the Veterans condition. However, the most common rating the VA gives to Veterans with hearing problems is 10%, especially if a Veteran is suffering from tinnitus.
Of 10 Common Va Disability Claims: Paralysis Of The Sciatic Nerve
Based on the latest 2018-2019 VA data, Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve, also known as Sciatica, was the #7 most common VA disability claims for all Veterans, across all demographics.
92.2% of Veterans are rated between 0% and 20%.
Musculoskeletal system conditions include issues with joints and muscles and must involve limitation of range of motion and/or painful motion.
Back injuries and various musculoskeletal injuries, which can lead to Sciatica, or severe radiating pain, are quite common for veterans.
Sciatica is the pain that one experiences when the sciatic nerve is irritated.
Sciatica is not an actual diagnosis of a problem, but rather, an accurate way of describing the location of the pain.
What is Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
This nerve runs from the;lower back;through the hips and buttocks all the way down to the leg.
Sciatica is extreme pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Sciatica most commonly occurs when a herniated disk, bone spur on the spine or narrowing of the spine compresses part of the nerve. This causes inflammation, pain and often some numbness in the affected leg.
Sciatica develops when the pressure on the spinal nerve causes pain to develop on the lower back, buttocks, and legs.
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How Does Va Rate Hearing Loss
Once service connection is established, VA will assign a disability rating based on severity.; Specifically, VA takes the results of veterans pure tone threshold test and averages it for each ear.; To do so, VA uses a grid chart with different frequencies and lines up the thresholds, using the Numeric Designation of Hearing Impairment Based on Puretone Threshold Average and Speech Discrimination, to determine a Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment based on a combination of the percent of speech discrimination and the puretone threshold average .; The Roman numeral is located at the point where the percentage of speech discrimination and puretone threshold average intersect.
Veterans can find the above-mentioned intersection using the table below.; To do so, veterans should first find the Roman numeral going down the left side for the ear that has greater auditory function.; Next, veterans should locate the Roman numeral of the ear with less auditory functioning, which can be found across the top of the table.; Finally, veterans should locate the rating where the two Roman numerals intersect;; Please note that VA rates both ears together, resulting in only one rating for hearing loss.
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Standard Va Disability Claims
With standard VA disability claims, the VA gathers evidence and compiles all supporting documents.
If the VA is unable to obtain a needed document, they may require your help. When help is required, it typically applies to documents not held by a federal agency, such as private medical records, employer information, and documents from state or local governments.
As with all claims programs, be prepared to provide your DD214 , service treatment records, VA medical records, and private medical records about your claim. Those needing help applying for their VA disability claim may also work with an accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Officer .
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How Does The Va Qualify Eligibility For Sleep Apnea
Veterans can only receive disability benefits for sleep apnea if they can prove the medical condition is service-connected.
In other words, patients must prove that a current diagnosis of sleep apnea is related to an in-service event, injury, or illness.
Moreover, a veteran may establish a service connection for sleep apnea through a secondary basis.
In this scenario, the veteran demonstrates that an already service-connected disability contributed to sleep apnea.
The military only accepts service connection on a secondary basis when there is a medical nexus that links the sleep apnea to another service-connected disability.
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
The signs and symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea are similar.
According to the Mayo Clinic, most patients suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:
- Loud snoring
- Difficulty staying focused or paying attention
- Episodes where you stop breathing while sleeping
Moreover, most patients with a form of sleep apnea report either difficulty staying asleep or excessive sleep patterns .
It is difficult to diagnosis the correct type of sleep apnea without speaking to a medical professional since many of the symptoms overlap.
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How Va Rates Hearing Loss
When assigning disability ratings for hearing loss, VA takes the results of your pure tone threshold test and averages it for each ear.; To do so, VA uses a grid chart with different frequencies and lines up the thresholds.; This tells the VA rater what the rating should be based on what level of hearing loss they decided you have.; Hearing loss involves a very literal application of the rating schedule.; Please note that VA rates both ears together, resulting in only one rating for hearing loss.
Exposure To Loud Noise
Noise exposure is a leading cause of hearing loss which also leads to tinnitus. Noise-induced hearing loss is a common complaint from military veterans who spent time in extremely noisy environments. Training on weapons ranges, operating heavy vehicles and machinery, and conducting aircraft operations are everyday situations for those on active duty. Although most service members wear hearing protection, this does not eliminate exposure risks. Many veterans experience some level of hearing loss or tinnitus due to exposure to loud noise.
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Is Tinnitus A Permanent Va Disability
The VA can conduct a reevaluation to determine if the veterans condition has improved. Typically, these reevaluations occur six months after discharge or two to three years after the VA initially awarded disability. If this happens, youll receive a notice that the VA is reevaluating your disability, and they will conduct another hearing test along with any other required examinations.
If the VA finds that your condition has improved or gone away, your disability rating will be reduced. As always, you have the right to appeal this decision and consult with a VA disability lawyer.
Secondary Basis Medical Conditions
Fortunately, there are several medical conditions that service members may cite on a secondary basis like:
- Asthma
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Tinnitus
It is recommended that you meet with a medical professional if you have symptoms of sleep apnea.
The medical condition is serious and you may be entitled to VA disability benefits as a result.
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Disabilityratings For Hearing Impairment
To receive disabilitycompensation for hearing loss, you must first prove that you are eligible for benefits. The VA requires that you:
- Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and
- Have a disability rating for your service-connected condition
The VA calculates your disability rating, a percentage based on the severity of yourdisability, by looking at your medical history, including any test results ordoctor reports, as well as information from other sources, like federalagencies or a VA claim exam if youve undergone one.
The VA Schedule of Ratings Disabilities shows that mild or moderate hearing loss can range from 0% to 10%, while severe hearing loss may range from 30% to 50%.
The rating for tinnitus is 10%, which is assigned regardless of whether it affects one or both ears. However, you can receive individual ratings for hearing loss and tinnitus.;
Basic Eligibility Rules For Veterans Disability Benefits
Everyone who applies for VA disability must meet certain basic requirements to qualify for benefits. This is true regardless of what medical issues youre dealing with, including hearing loss. In order to qualify for VA disability benefits, you must:
Not sure if your hearing loss is service-connected or not? Heres how you can tell:
- You did not have any hearing issues before joining the military, and yours only started after your service discharge.
- Your doctor determines that the damage to your hearing comes from an illness or injury during your military service. For example: Long-term exposure to jet propulsion fuel is known to cause auditory processing dysfunction. In addition, blast injuries often damage veterans central auditory systems and make it harder to understand others when they speak.
- You had hearing issues before joining the military that got measurably worse as a result of your service. Lets say you had 10% hearing loss before joining the Navy, but that increased to 30% after your discharge. Exposure to loud noise is linked to increased hearing impairment in veterans.
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Completing The Disability Claim
Step 5: Submit a personal statement along with the disability claim. The personal statement outlines when you believe the condition started and how your time in the military made sleep apnea worse. Include as many medical records and evidence as possible.
Step 6: Patients that need a CPAP or another type of breathing device while sleeping should get written acknowledgment from a doctor that the machine is necessary because of sleep apnea. This simple step should guarantee a 50% rating or higher.
Step 7: Some patients opt to include buddy letters from family, friends, and military associates that are familiar with the condition and how it has negatively affected your life.
Step 8: Review the disability claim for errors and submit. Patience is necessary with VA disability claims, particularly those associated with sleep apnea since the government does not have a stellar track record of approving these types of claims.
How To Determine Your Disability Compensation
To determine your disability compensation, you need to file a claim with VA. The VA rates your disability by severity after reviewing every piece of evidence in your claim.
You may only receive compensation for a single diagnostic code per condition, even if that condition satisfies more than one diagnostic code. However, those with more than one condition may receive additional compensation based on the combined rating system.
You may receive additional compensation if:
- You have very severe disabilities or loss of limb
- you have a spouse, children, or dependent parents
- you have a seriously disabled spouse
Note: If you have more than one child or your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits , be sure to include the figures from the “Add” row.
Did you know: Veterans can use their disability income in conjunction with their VA loan benefits. Speak with a home loan specialist to see how much you can afford.
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Va Hearing Loss Claim Rating
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs official site, hearing loss and/or hearing damage affects nearly 30 million people in America alone. Hearing problems such as tinnitus are described by the VA as among the most prevalent service-connected disability among American Veterans. More than half of people over 75 will experience some form of hearing loss or hearing-connected issues.
What is the maximum VA rating for hearing loss? This question and others related to it are very important for veterans filing VA medical claims for service-connected hearing damage. And, as the above suggests, since hearing loss or damage is one of the most common VA medical claims, it is a very good idea to understand how the VA approaches such claims.
An Alternate Method For Predicting Hearing Handicap
As stated earlier, the point at which a hearing impairment becomes a hearing handicap will depend on several factors that go beyond a simple statement of the degree of hearing loss . Ideally, a method for describing degree of hearing handicap should be based on a comprehensive consideration of all these factors. To be useful as a means for determining hearing disability, however, the definition of hearing handicap should be straightforward and unambiguous, and hearing handicap judgments based on this definition should be consistent from one examiner to another. Unfortunately, there currently is no method of interrelating the variables that contribute to hearing handicap to produce uniformly consistent judgments regarding degree of hearing handicap across examiners.
Claims for workers’ compensation are made primarily by persons with occupational histories of prolonged exposure to high levels of noise. Noise-induced damage to peripheral auditory structures can result in fairly predictable patterns of threshold sensitivity loss, but delineating a method for predicting hearing handicap solely on the basis of pure tone threshold data must be done with caution. Such an approach is reasonable only if those who use it are fully aware of its shortcomings.
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How Do I Establish A Service Connection For Dysthymia
To receive depression disability pay from the VA, the former service member must show that their depression connects to their time in the military. To prove a direct service connection, the following must be offered:
- A current diagnosis of depression
- Evidence of an incident in service that caused the depression
- The medical evidence of a link between the current depression diagnosis and the event in service.
Other Evidence For Hearing Loss Claims
Other evidence for hearing loss claims may include anything that shows that the condition has been chronic.; For example, if you have years of treatment notes from doctors demonstrating complaints of hearing loss shortly after service through the present day, you may want to consider submitting them to VA.; Additionally, it may be beneficial to provide documentation of any accommodations you require, such as hearing aids or an amplification system for your home phone.; VA must consider all of this evidence when adjudicating your claim for hearing loss.
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