Applicants Who Have Cochlear Implants In One Or Both Ears Are Automatically Granted Disability Benefits For One Year After Implantation
A cochlear implant is a small electronic device consisting of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. Though an implant does not restore normal hearing, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help them to understand speech. After one year a claimant who has a cochlear implant will be re-evaluated by Social Security and disability benefits will not be extended unless the applicants word recognition during a Hearing in Noise Test is 60% or less.
Other Evidence For Hearing Loss Claims
Other evidence for hearing loss claims may include anything that shows that the condition has been chronic. For example, if you have years of treatment notes from doctors demonstrating complaints of hearing loss shortly after service through the present day, you may want to consider submitting them to VA. Additionally, it may be beneficial to provide documentation of any accommodations you require, such as hearing aids or an amplification system for your home phone. VA must consider all of this evidence when adjudicating your claim for hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Can Lead To Social Isolation Depression And Anxiety
Often an individuals career and work life are negatively impacted. The Social Security Administration recognizes hearing loss as an impairment and disability benefits are available for profound hearing loss or deafness, but not for moderate or mild hearing loss. In order to qualify for Social Security Disability income, an applicant must meet the specific requirements of Social Securitys Blue Book listings under Sections 2.10 Social Securitys Blue Book listings under Sections 2.10 and 2.11 .
Don’t Miss: Saying Sorry In Sign Language
Hearing Loss Affecting Your Functional Capacity
If you don’t qualify under one of the above official SSA impairment listings for hearing loss, as the next part of the disability determination process, the SSA is required to consider the effect of your hearing loss on your capacity to do daily activities and work, and will then determine whether there is any kind of work you could do.
If your hearing loss is significant , you may have difficulty talking to other people and following direction, which is a significant work-related impairment, yet you wouldn’t meet the SSA’s listing for hearing loss.
To decide if your hearing impairment rises to the level of a disability that prevents you from working, the SSA will give you a rating of the type of work it thinks you can do . This is called your residual functional capacity . The lower your RFC, the fewer types of jobs you can do. If your pure tone average is worse than 40 dB in your better ear, the SSA is likely to give you some type of RFC.
The SSA may also include specific restrictions on the type of job you can do in your RFC. For hearing loss, the key question for your RFC is whether you can do work that requires good hearing and good word recognition. If you have moderate to marked hearing loss, and/or poor word recognition, you probably can’t.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss Occurs When There Is Damage To The Inner Ear Auditory Nerve Or Auditory Center Of The Brain
The pathway through the outer and middle ears functions normally but isnt processed normally because of damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve, or defects in the auditory pathway to the brain. This results in difficulty hearing clearly and understanding speech, especially when background noise is present.
You May Like: How To Pair Compilot With Hearing Aids
Can A Person With Hearing Loss Get Disability
Note that it is rare even for individuals with profound hearing loss to meet either part of this listing, particularly the first prong. Most individuals with hearing loss or partial deafness who qualify for disability benefits do so by getting a medical-vocational allowance Listing 2.11 applies to those with cochlear implants.
How Much Money Can I Receive In Va Disability For My Hearing Loss
The amount you receive in VA benefits depends on your disability rating. VA assigns this rating based on its opinion of the severity of your condition. The more your hearing loss limits you, the higher disability rating the VA assigns. The higher your disability rating, the more you receive in monthly benefits.
Also Check: How To Pair Compilot With Hearing Aids
How Does The Va Qualify Eligibility For Hearing Loss
Hearing issues are very common in the United States, especially among older adults.
Tragically, retirees and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces traditionally start dealing with hearing loss at a far younger age compared to civilians.
In fact, the VA recently described hearing problems like tinnitus as the most prevalent service-connected disability among American Veterans.
The goal of any VA disability claim is to link the medical condition with a service connection.
In other words, the patient struggling with hearing loss must prove to the VA that the medical condition started or worsen during their time in service in order to receive disability benefits.
Otherwise, the military is not considered at fault for your injuries and therefore you may not receive any form of VA disability.
While VA rating percentages are subject to change, here are some current examples of how you may qualify for VA disability coverage:
- Otosclerosis
- Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media
- Chronic Otitis Externa
- Peripheral Vestibular Disorders
- Loss of Ear
- Menieres Syndrome
- Malignant Neoplasm
Sadly, the U.S. Armed Forces currently do not currently observe Tympanic Membrane Perforation, or a perforated ear, as a hearing impairment.
As a result, patients receive a 0% rating for this medical condition.
Related ArticleDoes Sleep Apnea Qualify As A VA Disability?
What Percent Of Hearing Loss Qualifies For Disability
The big question here is not if hearing loss qualifies as a disability, but when . Most hearing loss is degenerative . So at what point does it become a disability? Unfortunately, it depends on who you ask and why.
Take social security, for example. In order to qualify for social security benefits your hearing loss must reach one of the following thresholds:
- Average hearing threshold must be below 90 dB when measured by air conduction.
- Average hearing threshold must be below 60 dB when measured by bone conduction.
- Failure to repeat at least 40% of words in a word recognition test.
Once youve reached any of those three thresholds, you may qualify for social security disability benefits because of your hearing loss .
You May Like: Beltone Hearmax Pairing
Cochlear Implants Will Automatically Qualify You
Deaf applicants with cochlear implants in one or both ears automatically qualify for disability benefits for one year after the implantation surgery. After that year, applicants can continue to receive Social security benefits as long as the applicant scores 60 percent or less on a “Hearing in Noise Test” word recognition test.
Essential Facts About Va Disability For Hearing Loss
Wondering about VA disability for hearing loss? Youre not alone. Over 2.7 million veterans get disability benefits for either tinnitus or hearing loss, and there could be even more veterans who experience hearing loss but dont receive disability benefits for it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, veterans are about 30 percent more likely to have severe hearing loss or impairment than non-veterans. And this hearing impairment can dramatically affect your quality of life.
Thats why its crucial for veterans with hearing problems to get a diagnosis and treatment from a doctor or healthcare professional. We will discuss everything you need to know about typical VA compensation for hearing loss, tinnitus military symptoms, and more throughout this guide
You May Like: How To Pair Compilot With Hearing Aids
Disability For Individuals With Cochlear Implants
Have you received cochlear implants for hearing loss?
The SSA Listing for hearing impairment includes a special category for people who have had cochlear implants.
The SSA recognizes that a person who has received these implants has already been diagnosed with profound hearing loss otherwise they would not have received the implant. If you get implants in one or both ears, you automatically qualify for benefits for a year after the implantation. However, keep in mind that if the implants improve your hearing as they normally do, your benefits will be terminated after that year unless you have other qualifying impairments.
How To Qualify For Social Security Disability Benefits With Hearing Loss
If you or someone you know experiences hearing loss, then you may be able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. The SocialSecurity Administration. gives out monthly benefits to those who can no longer work full time due to a disability. If you have hearing loss and its affecting your ability to maintain a full-time job, then there is assistance available to you. Here is how to qualify for Social Security disability benefits with hearing loss.
Medically Qualifying Using the Blue Book
The SSA uses its own guide in which they evaluate whether someones disability is approved or denied Social Security benefits. It is colloquially referred to as the BlueBook and it also lists what medical evidence is needed to qualify for Social Security benefits. If you have hearing loss, you can qualify via theBlue Book in two ways if youre treated without a cochlear implant and if you are treated with a cochlear implant.
Qualifying Without a Cochlear Implant
If you do not have a cochlear implant there are two ways in which you can qualify:
- If the average air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels orgreater in the better ear and an average bone conduction hearing threshold of60 decibels or greater in the better ear
- If your word recognition score of 40% or less in the better ear determined using a standardized list of phonetically balanced monosyllabic words
Qualifying with a Cochlear Implant
Things to Consider Before Applying
How to Start Your Application
Resources:
Also Check: What Are The 3 Main Causes Of Hearing Loss
How Can The Nba Help Me
The National Benefit Authority is Canadas largest disability tax service provider, having assisted thousands of Canadians in successfully claiming disability tax refunds. Our in-house team of experts can help determine your Disability Tax Credit eligibility and assist with completing the Canadian Disability Tax Credit application . We follow up directly with the CRA, meaning timely submittals and approvals for our clients.
Losing the ability to hear is emotionally draining enough, never mind the added paperwork and research required for a successful Disability Tax Credit claim. We can guide you through every step towards recovering your hearing disability benefits, helping the person with hearing loss live a happy, fulfilling life.
How To Apply For Disability Benefits With Hearing Loss
The disability application process varies, dependent upon the program for which you apply.
- For SSI, you must be interviewed by an SSA representative. An interview may be held at the local office or may be done over the phone in some cases. If you use TTY/TDD, call 1-800-325-0778 to communicate with an SSA representative. Or, if you have a hearing individual assisting you, they can call 1-800-772-1213.
- For SSDI, you can apply in person at the local office, over the phone , or online.
For both of these programs, youll need your work history, current employment information, details of your finances, and the contact information for all of your doctors or other healthcare providers. The SSA will also need detailed medical information from you and will request copies of all your medical records.
The specific records they need to see in order to approve you for disability benefits may include:
- Calcoric or other vestibular tests
- Audiometry results
Read Also: How To Pair Compilot With Hearing Aids
Do I Qualify For Social Security Disability Benefits If I Have Profound Hearing Loss
The Social Security Administration doesnt always make it easy for those with profound hearing loss to get the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits they deserve. SSA evaluates profound hearing loss based on whether or not you have undergone a cochlear implant. Many claims for mild or moderate hearing loss are denied because SSA says:
Your profound hearing loss wont prevent you from working at least 12 months,
Your profound hearing loss isnt severe,
Your profound hearing loss doesnt meet the requirements of, or is the equivalent of, a Medical Listing,
You can return to the lightest job you held in the 15 years before you became disabled, or
There is other work you can do in the mythical national economy based on your age, education, transferable skills and your residual functional capacity.
Not all cases of profound hearing loss are severe enough to make you eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, but Nancy Cavey has successfully represented many SSA applicants with profound hearing loss.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss Is Usually Caused By Extensive Exposure To Loud Noise Or Aging While Conductive Hearing Loss Is Often Caused By Some Type Of Blockage Such As Wax In The Ear
An individual may also have a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss or mixed hearing loss. Symptoms of hearing loss include:
- Muffling of speech and other sounds
- Difficulty understanding words, especially when background noise is present
- Trouble hearing consonants
- Needing to turn up the volume of a radio or television
- Asking others to speak more slowly or repeat words
Recommended Reading: Say Sorry In Sign Language
Can I Receive Va Disability For Hearing Loss Or Tinnitus
More than 28 million Americans are affected by hearing loss more than half of those over age 75.
Hearing problems, including the ringing or buzzing sensation known as tinnitus, are the most common service-connected disability among veterans.
If you are a veteran, you may be able to receive VA disability benefits for hearing loss or tinnitus. The team at The Law Offices of Michael Hartup explains what the VA can do for you and your service-associated hearing conditions below.
If you need further assistance applying for disability benefits, our attorneys at Michael Hartup are ready to help. Call our Jackson, Tennessee office at or fill out a contact form online.
Qualifying For Disability Without Meeting A Listing In The Blue Book
Under certain conditions, people can get disability benefits without meeting or matching a disability listing. When applicants qualify in this manner, they are granted a medical vocational allowance after the SSA conducts a residual functional capacity or RFC evaluation.
In an RFC, the SSA looks at your age, education level, job skills, work history, training, and other factors to determine the kinds of work for which youre qualified. They then compare the usual job duties in your qualified work areas with your physical, mental, and/or emotional limitations. They use your medical records and information you and your doctor provide on functional report forms to complete this comparison.
Functional reports document your daily limitations in performing normal tasks, like buying groceries, cleaning your home, taking care of your pets, or preparing food. From this information and from all the other details on your application and in your medical records, the SSA can determine if your hearing loss keeps you from working in any job for which you are otherwise qualified.
For example, a person who has always worked direct customer service positions and has minimal transferable skills may qualify because their hearing loss prevents them from effectively communicating. In a case like this, an RFC may be sufficient for getting disability.
Don’t Miss: How To Say Vagina In Sign Language
Contact Social Security Disability Attorney Nancy L Cavey Who Can Help You Regardless Of Where You Live In Florida
Profound hearing loss and difficulty communicating can make it difficult, if not impossible, to work. You owe it to yourself and your family to get help today! Ms. Cavey can explain the Five-Step Sequential Evaluation process used in every claim, the claims process and how to get your disability benefits for profound hearing loss. Call today for a free consultation at 727-894-3188.
Need Help? Contact us now
Free Disability Consultation
When Does Long Term Disability Start
Most commonly, you will receive your first disability payment within 90 days of your approval. However, that being said, oftentimes, individuals will not receive their first payment for months, or even over a year. Rather obviously, this can put a significant amount of stress on an individual and his/her family who depends on their paycheck. That is why when you hire our firm, we will tirelessly work to move the process along so you can obtain the relief you need. We are here to helpall you have to do is ask.
Recommended Reading: Alcohol Ringing Ears
To Be Eligible For Disability Benefits Without Cochlear Implants An Applicant Must Satisfy The Requirements Of Either An Audiometry Test Or A Word Recognition Test
The result of the audiometry test must show that the applicants average hearing threshold sensitivity for air conduction must be 90 decibels or worse in the applicants better ear and a bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 decibels or worse in the better ear. Hearing loss must be calculated by averaging the applicants hearing at the sound frequencies of 500 hertz , 1,000 Hz and 2,000 Hz. A word recognition test evaluates speech discrimination. An applicant must be unable to repeat 40% of a list of standardized words that are spoken. Tests are conducted by a physician, an otolaryngologist , or an audiologist and are performed without the use of hearing aids.
Tips On Applying For Disability With Hearing Loss
Severe hearing loss is a qualified disability under the Social Security Disability Act, but you must prove to the Social Security Administration that you meet all eligibility requirements in order to receive Social Security Disability . The following tips may prevent you from experiencing hang-ups or common hurdles in the application process.
Verify Your Hearing Loss Medically Qualifies You for Benefits
The SSA sets specific measurements for what it considers disabling hearing loss. The Blue Book disability listing for hearing loss outlines these requirements:
- An average hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in the better ear, documented through air condition tests AND a hearing threshold in the better ear of 60 decibels or higher, documented through bone conduction tests
- A word recognition score of 40% or lower in the better ear, documented through tests in which a list of standardized, monosyllabic and phonetically balanced words are used.
Let your doctor know you are planning to apply for disability and ask him or her to review the specifics of the hearing loss Blue Book listing. An informed physician can ensure your medical records include the right diagnostic tests and that your hearing evaluation results are recorded in the manner that the SSA requires.
Ensure Your Hearing Tests are Performed as the SSA Requires
Confirm and Document Your Hearing Loss is Severe Enough to Prevent Reasonable Accommodations by Your Employer
Hire a Lawyer
You May Like: How To Say Sorry In Sign Language