The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides compensation to veterans whose hearing loss is connected to their military service. This process involves a structured system to determine the severity of the impairment and assign a disability rating percentage. This evaluation is separate from other hearing-related conditions, such as tinnitus, which has its own rating criteria.
Required Medical Evidence and Service Connection
The first step in establishing a disability rating for hearing loss is proving “service connection,” which means demonstrating that the condition was caused or aggravated by military service. This connection requires three elements: a current diagnosis of hearing loss from a medical professional, evidence of an event or exposure during service that could have caused the condition, and a medical opinion linking the two. The medical opinion, often called a nexus, must state that the disability is “at least as likely as not” due to service.
A current diagnosis must be supported by specific, mandated audiological tests, typically conducted during a Compensation & Pension (C&P) examination. The VA requires two distinct tests to accurately measure the veteran’s hearing ability. These tests must be administered by a state-licensed audiologist and performed without the use of hearing aids to capture the natural level of impairment.
The first required diagnostic test is Pure Tone Audiometry, which measures the faintest sound a person can hear across different frequencies. The VA specifically focuses on the hearing thresholds at 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz for each ear. The second test is Speech Recognition Testing, often utilizing the Maryland CNC test, which involves the veteran repeating a list of 50 recorded words. The percentage of words correctly understood yields the Speech Discrimination Score, which evaluates the ability to comprehend speech rather than just hear sound.
How VA Rating Percentages Are Determined
The Department of Veterans Affairs uses a specific mathematical process to convert the audiometric test results into a single disability rating percentage. This evaluation is conducted under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6100 of the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD).
The calculation begins by determining the “Average Hearing Loss” for each ear using the results from the Pure Tone Audiometry. The VA takes the hearing threshold measurements at the four required frequencies—1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz—adds them together, and divides the sum by four. This average, measured in decibels, is then paired with the Speech Discrimination Score for that same ear.
These two values—the Pure Tone Average and the Speech Discrimination Score—are then used to locate a Roman numeral classification for each ear on the VA’s rating table. The intersecting point of the two scores defines the severity level, which is classified using Roman numerals ranging from I (least severe) to XI (most severe).
The final step involves the “Binaural Hearing Impairment” calculation, which combines the impairment from both the better-hearing ear and the poorer-hearing ear. The VA uses a second table that takes the Roman numeral designation for both ears and cross-references them to yield a single, overall percentage of hearing impairment. This single rating can range from 0% up to 100%, though total deafness is required for the maximum schedular rating.
Independent Rating for Tinnitus
Tinnitus, the perception of ringing, buzzing, or other noise in the ears, is the most frequently claimed service-connected disability among veterans and is rated separately from hearing loss. Even when tinnitus is caused by the same military exposure that led to hearing loss, the VA evaluates it under its own distinct criteria.
The condition is rated under Diagnostic Code 6260, which applies a straightforward evaluation once chronic tinnitus is confirmed. Whether the ringing occurs in one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral), the rating is almost always a fixed 10%. This 10% is the maximum schedular evaluation for tinnitus alone and does not increase based on perceived severity. The independent nature of this rating means that a veteran can receive compensation for both hearing loss and tinnitus, with the two percentages combined using standard VA rules.