March of last year, I started the process of submitting a claim to the VA. After jumping through various hoops, I got a letter today confirming service connection for tinnitus (10%) and service connection for bilateral hearing loss (0%).

I'll be speaking with a Maine Bureau of Veteran Services Rep to get the straight skinny, but my understanding is that even the 0% gets me in the system for hearing loss.

My question is, how does that impact my chances of getting full or partial support from the VA for obtaining hearing aids?

The 10% makes $145 a month worth of my pension tax free. Whoopee. Amounts to $14 a month more than I'm getting now.

From my personal experience and what I hear from fellow veterans, most of the people provided VA hearing aids also had a service connected tested/confirmed hearing loss observed.
But the the VA benefits "experience" can vary.

I (like many veterans) had a good bit of exposure to "loud or elevated noise levels". When the VA reviewed my claim they detected significant hearing loss in one ear (and lesser loss in other ear. I had a documented event which occurred while on submarines).
Combined with tinnitus I was provided hearing aids as well as associated HA supplies (batteries/tube tips/plastic bell tips for aid tube).
Many hearing aids now are capable of providing some relief/active "masking" techniques for tinnitus.

I can tell you that with tinnitus alone you can ask for masking therapy sleep aid devices like the BST-100 Bluetooth Sleep Sound Therapy System. The VA provided me one of these and it does beat a window fan running... (Read up on tinnitus and brown/white/pink/etc noise science).

Important to make sure that you clearly convey to them the level of tinnitus you experience, times when higher/lower, and to what level it interferes with understanding spoken voices and hearing recognition and comprehension.
Often this difficulty in sound/voice recognition can be revealed during the hearing test process.
Good luck!

My son in laws grandfather applied under full disability for hearing aids from the VA, after 3 years he still didn't have them, they gave him some kind of over the neck box to amplify the sound closer to him. Man fought in the battle of the buldge survived came home, worked, paid taxes and couldn't get hearing aids.

After three years post application and testing he passed before he could get approved, a WW2 vet who survived the battle of the buldge amoung others, had full disability and my daughter had to learn the VA system to guide him through the morass...

Good luck, in the meantime, I'd find a Costco, won't be busy in the Hearing aid section, everyones fighting over toliet paper.

A few years ago the Nashville VA gave me hearing aids with a "slight" hearing loss. I stopped wearing them when I could understand what my wife was bitching about!

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

Good luck, in the meantime, I'd find a Costco, won't be busy in the Hearing aid section, everyones fighting over toliet paper.

No Costco in Maine.

I am supposed to pick up my hearing aids on April 7 from the VA. Process was simple. Appointment, test, order hearing aids, wait for fitting. Follow up in 4 months.

This is of interest to me. I have service-connected hearing loss and need hearing aids.
I guess I waited just long enough to pursue the matter.

quote:

Good luck, in the meantime, I'd find a Costco, won't be busy in the Hearing aid section, everyones fighting over toliet paper.

This! My hearing got so bad that I had to get hearing aids. Miracle Ear. Every time I went to have the adjusted, cleaned, etc I got an hour long presentation to get a new set. Cost - $11,000. Said no thanks. On the way home I suggested to the wife that we stop at COSTCO and check out their aids. $3000 for top of the line! And included were the "disposable" supplies and cleaning for no cost.

Had one fail, took it back and they sent it in for repair (no cost). Few days later got a call to come in and get my aids. Turns out they just replaced the defective one, under warrantee. Get periodic cleaning and adjustment at no cost, including the "disposable" stuff.

I have no idea how good the VA stuff is, but from what I learned years ago, it was not top of the line.

My county VA assistance office did all the paperwork for me and arranged for appointments at the VA. I had state-of-the-art aids within two months. Every county should have one of these offices.

PhPaul, Sams Club has them also.

The Maine Bureau of Veteran Services (BVS) called me back and said "Just call this number and make an appointment with the VA Audiologist so he can review your results and get the ball rolling."

Still not sure if that'll result in "free" hearing aids, but it's the next step.

quote:

Originally posted by fiasconva:
PhPaul, Sams Club has them also.

Thanks, I'll look into that if it comes to it.

I'm service connected for the 10% Tinnitus and 0% Bilateral Hearing Loss.

PHPaul you are covered by the VA for hearing loss if they rated you and your 10% & 0%.

DO NOT go buy hearing aids. The VA will give you the best made.
I have some really nice ones they gave me and and about every months they send me batteries for them.

Even if a Vet. is not Service Connected you can still get hearing aids from them. I sent a old friend of mine to the Baton Rouge VA clinic to get some. I told him to just go and take his DD-214 and tell them he has hearing problems. He said they were very nice and got him signed up and tested and wasn't long before he had fine new hearing aids free from the VA. He loves them.

Also they are good for getting eye glasses now too.

Thank you, Charlie12. Just what I needed to know.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Thank you, Charlie12. Just what I needed to know.

Glad I could be a little help.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Thank you, Charlie12. Just what I needed to know.

Hope Charlie12"s is helpful... he was one of the people to get myself and my wife in the VA system. been pleased with results so far ............. drill sgt.

10% is the highest you’ll get for tinnitus but your hearing may change and then the 0% may go up. I’m not sure what percentage loss qualifies for hearing aides but you are in the system. Look up the priority level, it puts you around 3. Priority group 3

We may assign you to priority group 3 if any of the below descriptions are true. You:

Are a former prisoner of war (POW), or
Received the Purple Heart medal, or
Were discharged for a disability that was caused by—or got worse because of—your active-duty service, or
Have a service-connected disability that we've rated as 10% or 20% disabling, or
Were awarded special eligibility classification under Title 38, U.S.C § 1151, "benefits for individuals disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation"

I got mine after applying, getting a hearing test and waiting for approval. Took around a month. Got pretty decent digital aids.
They couldn't really refuse me. The Pratt & Whitney J57 was the main factor!

Paul, before my grandfather passed, he was given a set from the VA in Bangor (He only went to Togus for some initial test) and he didn't have to fight for them.