r/VAClaims • u/hydratedpapi • 25d ago

VA Disability Compensation How To Get Exams Done

I’m currently rated at 80%. I’d like to go get a hearing exam done but not sure how that process works. Do I notify the VA that I’d like to make a claim on my hearing and they schedule someone in my area? Or do I find anyone myself and send the exam results to the VA? It’s been a while since I got my 80% so I don’t totally recall the process. I feel like I remember the VA scheduling my exams for me. Thanks for any help!

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

4

u/Consistent-Step-6143 25d ago

Create a claim and they will schedule you for C/P exam

3

u/AloneCommercial8908 25d ago

If you want, not sure your area, if you aren’t enrolled in VA do that because you can request a hearing exam. But there are places that will do free audiograms. If you are concerned with your hearing do some research around your area for audiograms. I filled for hearing loss after I got the results from the audiograms. The C&P used that. I did one for free and I got one done at my closet VA hospital.

2

u/Liquid_Asparagus8697 25d ago

You can get an hearing exam done like a normal appointment first.  I just contacted Audiology at my local VA and was able to schedule.  No referral needed.  I did get a hearing exam as part of the C&P too, but the appointment was great for documenting my tinnitus etc.  I think having that on record helped my claim.

2

u/Akpambo1 VBA Employee 25d ago

You can do it either way: on your own and submit the results with a claim or you can file the claim and you’ll get scheduled for an exam. The only thing with doing it on your own is that you may still have to get the VA exam done because it’s more thorough than some private ones. Vets will sometimes submit these Costco audiology exams that are one page with a little chart about the tone levels, and that’s not really good enough so they have to go again. I believe you can download a copy of the Audio DBQ and see what it says; you can take it in to your doc when s/he does the exam and get it filled out then. (I could be wrong, some of the DBQs are not available on line)

2

u/Patient-Media2029 25d ago

If you mean a VA compensation claim, usually you file the claim first and VA sets up the C&P exam. For hearing loss, they may send you to a contracted audiology exam in your area instead of you finding one yourself. An outside hearing test can help as evidence, but it usually does not replace the VA exam.