Search VA regulations and diagnostic codes

Conditions of the Auditory System

V.iii.2.B.3.b. Requesting Medical Opinions for Tinnitus A medical opinion is not required to establish direct SC for claimed tinnitus if · STRs document the original complaints and/or diagnosis of tinnitus · there is current medical evidence of a diagnosis of tinnitus or the Veteran competently…

Examination Requests Overview

IV.i.2.A.7.h. Medical Opinions and the Hearing Loss and Tinnitus DBQ The DBQ for hearing loss and tinnitus contains specific sections for etiology opinions. However, examiners generally are not expected to provide unsolicited medical opinions, and in some types of hearing loss and tinnitus…

General Criteria for Sufficiency of Examination Reports

IV.i.3.A.1.k. Qualification Requirements of Examiners –Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Hearing loss examinations must be completed by a state-licensed audiologist. If only a tinnitus examination is being requested, the examination may be conducted by either an audiologist or non-audiologist…

Examination Sufficiency for Specific Disabilities

IV.i.3.B.1.c. Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Examination Report Review A hearing loss and tinnitus examination report may be considered insufficient if an opinion was requested but is not provided in the report. Unusual circumstances may arise during the examination, requiring the examiner to *…

Examinations in Special Situations

· All claimed and reported issues at the SHA examination must be addressed by VA completing the appropriate DBQ for each issue. · However, in order to add any conditions to a pending claim, the claimant is required to file a claim on the appropriate form. · A separate DBQ, including for a…

Schedule of ratings—ear.

| 6209 Benign neoplasms of the ear (other than skin only): | | | Rate on impairment of function. | | | 6210 Chronic otitis externa: | | | Swelling, dry and scaly or serous discharge, and itching requiring frequent and prolonged treatment | 10 | | 6211 Tympanic membrane, perforation of | 0 | | 6260…

Effective Dates

V.ii.4.A.1.g. Effective Date Associated With Sympathetic Reading or a Within Scope Determination The effective date of a grant of SC for any disabilities arising from the sympathetic reading of a claim, or finding a disability within the scope of a different claimed disability, is governed by…

System Updates at Intake

Exception: If the periods of service are concurrent with the receipt of VA benefits and the Veteran’s eligibility to benefits is impacted, then all periods impacting payment of benefits must be verified and entered into VBMS. References: For more information on · updating service in VBMS…

Presumptive Service Connection (SC)

· principles related to presumptive SC, see [38 CFR 3.307](<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=4f75aeb98778645c99bc9f855f060a18&node=se38.1.3_1307&rgn=div8>) · diseases subject to presumptive SC, see [38 CFR…

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders

V.iii.12.A.1.d. Other Organic Diseases of the Nervous System Under 38 CFR 3.309(a) For the purpose of establishing presumptive SC for a chronic disease under [38 CFR 3.307](<https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=7bb77fadaa9b6f28b29ee834697f0824&mc=true&r=SECTION&n=se38.1.3_1307>)…

Coded Conclusion

7. Listing Compensation Rating Codes This topic contains information about listing compensation rating codes, including · grouping SC disabilities · using diagnostic terminology, and · coding · compensation awards, and · new awards of previously considered issues. August 23, 2018 ###…

Description and General Information on Duty to Notify and Duty to Assist

I.i.1.A.4.c. Claims That Are Inherently Incredible or Lack Merit VA will not provide assistance in obtaining evidence if a claim is inherently incredible or clearly lacks merit, even when the application itself is substantially complete. The development or rating activity has the authority to…

Determining the Issues

· sympathetic reading of a claim, see · [_Robinson v. Shinseki_](</system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000015462/Robinson-v-Shinseki-Feb-25-2009-557-F3d-1355>), 557 F.3d 1355 (Fed. Cir. 2009), and · [ _Grimes v…

Schedule of ratings—neurological conditions and convulsive disorders.

| Purely neurological disabilities, such as hemiplegia, cranial nerve paralysis, etc., due to cerebral arteriosclerosis will be rated under the diagnostic codes dealing with such specific disabilities, with citation of a hyphenated diagnostic code (e.g., 8046-8207). | | | Purely subjective…

Diving-Related Disabilities

VIII.iv.9.B.1.b. Decompression Illness and AGE In decompression illness, nearly all symptoms are present within 24 hours after the dive while some may occur within 3 hours. While many signs and symptoms resolve rapidly if treated within minutes of onset, permanent injury or disability may…

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

V.iii.12.B.2.d. Evaluating TBI and Comorbid Symptoms/ Conditions Use the table below when evaluating TBI and comorbid symptoms and/or conditions. | If the Veteran has ...| Then evaluate ... headaches| headaches according to the table below. | If the Veteran has …| Then ……

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

VIII.iv.4.A.4.h. Awarding SMC for Deafness Award SMC for deafness of both ears, having absence of air and bone conduction, if the SC bilateral hearing loss warrants a 100-percent evaluation under the evaluation criteria in [38 CFR…

Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral.

§ 4.124. Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral. Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral, characterized usually by a dull and intermittent pain, of typical distribution so as to identify the nerve, is to be rated on the same scale, with a maximum equal to moderate incomplete paralysis. See nerve involved for…

Disability due to impaired hearing.

§ 3.385. Disability due to impaired hearing. For the purposes of applying the laws administered by VA, impaired hearing will be considered to be a disability when the auditory threshold in any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Hertz is 40 decibels or greater; or when the auditory…

Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment.

§ 4.86. Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment. (a) When the puretone threshold at each of the four specified frequencies (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz) is 55 decibels or more, the rating specialist will determine the Roman numeral designation for hearing impairment from either Table VI…