BVA9505778 
DOCKET NO.  93-14 008     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Washington, DC

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss
and tinnitus.

2.  Entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right ear
hearing loss.

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

D. B. Weiss, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active military service from July 1987 to July
1991.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) notes that service
connection for left ear high frequency hearing loss was denied in
part because hearing loss was not shown according to the
standards of 38 C.F.R. § 3.385, which states that hearing loss
will be considered to be a disability when the threshold level in
any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 Hertz is 40
decibels or greater; or the thresholds for at least three of
these frequencies are 26 decibels or greater; or speech
recognition scores using the Maryland CNC test are less than 94
percent.  Department of Veterans Affairs, 38 C.F.R. Part 3;
Disability Due to Impaired Hearing, 59 Fed. Reg. 60560 (1994) (to
be codified at 38 C.F.R. § 3.385).  The Board observes that
speech recognition testing was not performed concomitant with
audiological testing in April 1992.  While the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedule for Rating Disabilities permits
the evaluation of service-connected hearing loss without speech
recognition testing, no provisions exist for the determination of
service-connection for hearing loss without speech recognition
testing.  Occasional tinnitus in the left ear was also diagnosed
in April 1992, although at this time only the right ear's hearing
loss is service-connected.

The VA has a duty to assist the appellant in the development of
facts pertinent to his claims.  38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a) (West
1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(a) (1994).  Accordingly, the case is
REMANDED to the regional office (RO) for the following actions:

1.  The RO should obtain the names and
addresses of all medical care providers who
treated the veteran for the claimed
disorders since service separation.  After
securing the necessary release, the RO
should attempt to obtain these records.

2.  The veteran should be afforded a VA
audiological examination, to determine (1)
the nature and severity of left ear hearing
loss, using both pure tone thresholds and
speech recognition scores, and (2) the
etiology of any tinnitus.  For the purpose
of ensuring that Maryland CNC speech
recognition testing is performed, the
examiner should be forwarded the Maryland
CNC word list and the cassette tape
containing testing for said list, if
possible.  A complete history should be
elicited.  The etiology of any tinnitus or
left ear hearing loss identified should be
specified, if possible.  If any request
stated herein cannot be fulfilled, then
this should be expressly stated.  The
claims folder should be made available to
the examiner for review before the
examination.  Any indicated diagnostic
tests should be performed.

3.  After completion of the above
development, if any claim remains in a
denied status, the RO should consider all
of the evidence raised since the case was
last forwarded to the Board and issue a
supplemental statement of the case to the
veteran.  Reasonable response time should
be allowed.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order.  The Board intimates no opinion as to the ultimate outcome
of this case.  The appellant need take no action until otherwise
notified.

          V. L. JORDAN
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1994).