Conditions secondary to hearing loss

At the Board, tinnitus claimed secondary to hearing loss was granted in 65.6% of 1,456 decisions, while hearing loss claimed secondary to tinnitus was granted in only 13.5%.

Tinnitus secondary to hearing loss vs primary connection

Hearing loss across all theories was granted in 20.5% of 91,802 decisions and denied in 44.8%. The reverse pairing mostly ends in remand, with 67.8% of those issues sent back. When the Board reached the merits, it granted tinnitus secondary to hearing loss in 89.9%, against 41.9% for the reverse. The most cited tinnitus grant reason was causation by the service-connected disability, in 212 decisions.

GrantedDeniedRemanded

Tinnitus secondary to hearing loss

65.6%

7.3%

25.7%

Hearing loss secondary to tinnitus

13.5%

18.8%

67.8%

Hearing loss, all theories

20.5%

44.8%

35.8%

Share of Board decisions by outcome. Associations only.

Service connection for noise exposure and the C&P exam

For hearing loss overall, conceded in-service noise exposure was the top grant reason, named in 2,898 decisions. Combat service appeared in 7,963 decisions, granted at 47.6% versus 29.7% without it. A favorable VA exam went with a 47.7% grant rate, against 28.5% without one. A negative VA examiner opinion was cited in 3,641 denials, behind no current diagnosis at 4,002. The data does not show why these factors line up with outcomes.

Buddy statements and lay evidence impact

Buddy statements appeared in 2,205 hearing loss decisions, granted at 44.4% versus 31.1% without. General lay statements were far more common, in 77,051 decisions, and showed almost no gap: 31.5% with versus 30.8% without. For hearing loss secondary to tinnitus, decisions with lay statements were granted at 37.4% versus 78.6% without. The data does not show why that gap runs the other way.

WithWithout

Buddy statement

44.4%

31.1%

Lay statement

31.5%

30.8%

Combat service

47.6%

29.7%

Favorable VA exam

47.7%

28.5%

Positive nexus opinion

61.5%

23.8%

Merits decisions only. The data does not show that any evidence type caused a grant.

Rating schedule and appeals for underrated claims

The Board decided 32,889 hearing loss rating issues, granting 9.7% and denying 58.6%. Criteria for a higher rating not met was the top denial reason, in 7,160 decisions. Under DC 6100, the Board granted 7.6% of 5,245 issues on the merits. Across all hearing loss rating grants, ratings of 10 percent were the largest share at 33.0%, while 100 percent ratings made up 4.5%.

Share of grants

0%

0.8%

10%

33.0%

20%

17.3%

30%

14.5%

40%

11.7%

50%

6.4%

60%

3.7%

70%

4.1%

80%

3.1%

90%

1.0%

100%

4.5%

Ratings assigned in Board rating grants on hearing loss issues; may include ratings under codes other than DC 6100.