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Hearing loss is a widespread issue, especially among veterans who were exposed to loud noises during their military service. In fact, hearing problems, including tinnitus, are the most common service-connected disability among veterans.
To help veterans determine their potential VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) disability rating for hearing loss, veterans disability attorneys Hill & Ponton offers a VA Hearing Disability Calculator that simplifies the process.
How the Calculator Works
The VA Hearing Disability Calculator asks for two key test results that are typically part of a veteran’s hearing evaluation:
Puretone Audiometry Test: This measures the faintest tones you can hear across different frequencies. During this test, you'll wear headphones and signal when you hear beeps at varying pitches and loudness levels. The results give a picture of your overall hearing ability, which is crucial in determining the degree of hearing loss.
Maryland CNC Test (Speech Discrimination Test): This measures how well you can understand speech in a controlled environment. You’ll be asked to repeat back words as they are spoken to you, and the test scores are given as a percentage of how many words were understood.
Both test results are necessary to determine your VA hearing rating. The calculator uses these results to assign a Roman numeral to each ear, representing the level of hearing impairment.
From there, a disability rating is calculated based on VA standards, with higher ratings reflecting more severe hearing loss.
First table:
Second table:
As you can see, determining the VA rating for hearing loss can be quite complicated, so having a tool to simplify results helps.
Why Your Hearing Loss Rating Matters
Once service connection for hearing loss is established, the VA assigns a disability rating. This rating determines the amount of compensation a veteran can receive. Ratings are based on a combination of the Puretone and Speech Discrimination test results, and veterans who also have tinnitus may be eligible for an additional rating.
How the VA Rates Hearing Loss
The VA assigns a rating from 0 percent to 100 percent based on the results of the tests. To calculate this, the better-hearing ear is assigned a Roman numeral, followed by the worse-hearing ear. These numbers are then cross-referenced on the VA’s rating table to determine the final disability percentage.
The VA Hearing Disability Calculator provides a simple way to input test results and see what rating they might qualify for.
For more information on hearing loss and VA disability benefits, please visit the VA Hearing Disability Calculator here.
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