Tinnitus Eval / Hearing loss.

[hooksetter5]

Tomorrow I go for an evaluation to determine eligibility for disability for tinnitus with root cause dating back to 1966-67. Recently I was told that the condition was worthy of at least partial disability. Every minute of every day sounds to me as if the world around me is infested with cicadas. Constant hissing, buzzing, and ringing in my ears. I was stationed aboard the USS Morton DD948. The Morton was up and down the coast of Viet Nam to provide gunfire support to ground troops. The 5" 54 guns were brutally loud. On my last tour she let loose over 20,000 rounds. More than once I got caught on deck and my 20 year old ears have never been the same. Hearing loss has been since then. Not complete loss but some. The VA provided hearing aids which help some but never suggested that I might be eligible for disability. Now, with age mixed in it is often difficult to understand what someone is saying without asking for a repeat. The tinnitus sometimes gets so loud it wakes me up. Have any of you had to deal with the VA for this issue?

[Skip]

Good luck with your interview. Hope you get something.

[Fishahaulic]

I've dealt with it and do have a disability rating for it. I believe it's 10% per ear. The audiologist have test they will conduct and will be able to immediately tell if you have tinnitus. Easy test and with it being as bad as you say, you should have no problems getting the disability approved. Mine is so bad I have 3 fans going in the room when I'm sleeping to help keep the buzzing noise down.

[1stindoor]

Been dealing with it for years. If approved, the VA will grant you 10% (total, not per ear). A 10% rating will equate to $144 (pretty sure, have to check) a month in compensation. It will be back-payed, if granted, to the date you made the claim, not the date it first started or had your exam. If you have any paperwork, i.e. med records from your time in the service that'll help. Also a DD 214 that showed your branch and/or job will help too. For example, it's easy enough to prove your tinnitus was more likely than not caused by your time working on the flight line, in artillery, the infantry, aviation, in the engine room, etc. Good luck.

[n2ratfishin]

Listen to 1stindoor. I'd never heard of a presumptive disability until his post. I met with a VSO Rep, he went over my old job which meant he had to figure out what the new equivalent code was. I made the tinnitus claim last May and had a phone interview with a doc in July. I was rated 10% for tinnitus December 2020. The extra money doesn't make the ringing go away. My PCP is finally starting to see patients in person and I have an appointment this Friday. It may be time for hearing aids???? If so the VA will pay for them with the service connected disability.

[fly by night]

I get 10% for hearing loss, amounts to $144.14 monthly. I also got a set of hearing aids through the VA valued at between 7 and 8 thousand dollars.

[cmbtvet]

I've never looked into Tinnitus until recently. I thought the constant tone was normal until an Army buddy of mine described tinnitus. I haven't made a claim yet but I need to.

[Kazusmc]

I have tinnitus as well . Four years in the Marine Corps working the flight deck . I first went to the VA and had a hearing test done , filled my claim and was denied. I was then sent paper work to file an appeal. I filled it out thinking it would never go anywhere. About five years later I received a letter with date and time to meet with an appeal board. I went in , met with the judge and was given a 60 day extension to get a independent medical examination for my tinnitus by a doctor of my choice, and to have him say it more than likely was caused by my time in service than not . After some time I was awarded disability for the tinnitus, it is only 10% like the others stated . I did get five years of back pay as well from the first time I filled . I to sleep with fans going , it helps . Good Luck ......

[Texas Larry]

I originally was told that I was at 10% disability, but it was upgraded to 20% for some unknown reason - $284.93 per month. If they offer 10%, just ask for 20% and see what happens. Won't hurt anyway. The process is simple, you get the test, they determine what kind of hearing aids or whatever you need, and send you to a person to file for the disability. You get notified by mail, I believe. Also got some fancy hearing aids that really help, and they will replace them every 3 years. Mine is only loss of hearing, no ringing or anything. I was told during my exit physical in May, 1972, that I had about 50% hearing loss in my left ear, but being 25 at the time, I really didn't think anything of it. I only wish I had done it a lot sooner! Good luck on your quest. Mine came from 4 years on the flight line around a bunch of F-4C,D &E Phantoms. I still love those old birds though!

[hooksetter5]

I have been awarded (is that the right word) a 10% disability. Apparently, no award for hearing loss. I would like to appeal the hearing loss issue... but not sure how to proceed. I already have hearing aids from the VA - wouldn't you think that is indicative of hearing loss?

[1stindoor]

Congrats. "Awarded" is the appropriate term. I would expect the back pay to go back to the point that you first made the claim. As for your hearing loss, I would have to pull out the VASRD and dig through it, which any qualified VSO can do for you, but the issue with "hearing loss" is that it can be remedied with "hearing aids"....which they gave you. Unless I'm mistaken you'll have to go through a series of tests to determine what level of hearing loss is not being remedied with your hearing aids.

[Va Phoenix]

I also get the 10% disability for tinnitus. I was on the flight line for thirty six years. My ears are screaming right now.lol What doesn't make sense to me is that I got it a couple of years before I started receiving my retirement at sixty years old and they took the same amount out of my retirement check when I srtarted getting it. So other than getting it tax free, I don't gain anything a month. I don't understand why they take it back every month. It hasn't gone away! Can't figure out the government.

[1stindoor]

It has to do with how the government pays both Military Retirement pay and VA pay. To put it in simple terms, if you are awarded less than 50% from the VA, then you have an offset. This is where Uncle Sam will take an equal amount from your retirement pay (which is taxable) and replace it with your VA pay which isn’t taxable. For example, if your retirement pay is $1,500, and your VA compensation is $144 (10% for the tinnitus) then you’ll get $1,356 (taxable) from DFAS for retirement, and $144 (non-taxable) from the VA.
Here’s where the “big money” is, if you are eligible for military retirement (20+ yrs of AD service) AND, if your VA award is 50% or higher, you are now eligible for a program known as CRDP (Concurrent Receipt of Disability Pay). This is where you’ll get your full retirement pay PLUS your full VA pay with no offset. The math is still there (where they take and replace pays), but they put it comes from different pots of money.
Here’s a simple illustration of the difference. Let’s say one is an E7 that retires at 20 yrs with 40% from the VA; and the second one is the same E7 but with 50%. We’ll skip the different issues, like number of kids, spouses, etc. and tax issues with different states.
E7 at 20 yrs makes about $5,095 a month. His retirement amount would be 50% of that, $2,547. If he has a 40% VA rating, his amount is $635. So, for simplicity sake his take home is $1,912 (taxable) and $635 (non-taxable). $2,547 a month.
Same dude now has a 50% VA rating. Retirement is $2,547 (taxable) PLUS $905 (non-taxable). Take home pay is now $3,452 a month.
You don’t even want to know about E9s or Officers with a 100% rating…it’s nearly criminal. This is coming from a retired E9.

[bassnman81]

A little off point, but, if anyone has their med dosage increased for a particular disability rating put in another claim for it. When they increased my meds for my neuropathy I went from 60% to 100%. This would probably work for hearing too. If the aids are adjusted to a stronger setting might be worth another claim.

[1stindoor]

Very true. Had the same thing occur when I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure. I believe I was initially at 10%, then I went through a period of time when my BP was completely screwy and through the roof. Had to have a BP log done over the course of a month, changed my meds, etc. When I refiled my claim, it went from 10% to 20% for that condition.

[hooksetter5]

Congrats. "Awarded" is the appropriate term. I would expect the back pay to go back to the point that you first made the claim. As for your hearing loss, I would have to pull out the VASRD and dig through it, which any qualified VSO can do for you, but the issue with "hearing loss" is that it can be remedied with "hearing aids"....which they gave you. Unless I'm mistaken you'll have to go through a series of tests to determine what level of hearing loss is not being remedied with your hearing aids.

Thank you for your reply - and you are most likely correct. But to say that hearing loss is remedied with hearing aids would be akin to a lost leg being remedied by a prosthesis. Even with the hearing aids I have trouble. Not to mean the "disabilities" are equal but that the "cure" does not erase the disability. Recently, myself and a buddy went to the VA hospital for covid shots. As I sat there looking around the room and at the men and women in the room, I pondered the history of each of them. Many, like myself were obvious Viet Nam vets and others who served God knows where. Many in disrepair from age and history. I remember thinking that we were all blessed in some way to have survived and to have the care of the VA.

[1stindoor]

Agree, we are blessed to have survived the period of time we served. I've known way too many that were permanently disabled and/or died in training.

[rdoubledog]

Hooksetter, I just got my 10% rating for tinnitus as well a month ago with no hearing loss. Did they prescribe you any meds? I've read its untreatable.

How do I go about getting back in to see a doc now that I have the rating and see if they can do anything about it?

The process is painful at best and any insight is appreciated.

[CigarBasser]

Listen to 1stindoor. I'd never heard of a presumptive disability until his post.

Do elaborate please...

[1stindoor]

Short answer is that one of your conditions was presumed to be caused by your service. Along the lines of how some types of cancers (see the link) can be presumed caused by Agent Orange exposure while serving in VN. The VET does not have to go back and prove that the condition was caused by his service. They just accept that it was. Due to many career fields being exposed to excessive noise, tinnitus is one of the easiest conditions to claim. Everyone has been to the rifle range.

https://www.va.gov/disability/eligib.../agent-orange/