- Diagnostic Code
- 6208
- CFR Section
- §4.87 — Ear
Rating Tiers
100%
Note: A rating of 100 percent shall continue beyond the cessation of any surgical, radiation treatment, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure. Six months after discontinuance of such treatment, the appropriate disability rating shall be determined by mandatory VA examination. Any change in evaluation based on that or any subsequent examination shall be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residuals.
What Raters Look For
Based on M21-1 adjudication criteria for Ear conditions. These are the factors a VA rater evaluates when assigning a rating percentage.
M21-1 III.iv.4.J- •Audiogram results: pure-tone average thresholds (500, 1000, 2000, 3000 Hz) for each ear
- •Speech recognition (discrimination) score percentage for each ear
- •Tinnitus — whether documented as a separate diagnosis and its impact on sleep and concentration
- •Hearing aid use and whether aids are worn in one or both ears
- •Impact on speech communication, occupational function, and daily life
- •Other ear conditions: otitis media, cholesteatoma, labyrinthine dysfunction, vertigo
NoteHearing loss and tinnitus are rated separately under different diagnostic codes. Tinnitus (DC 6260) is rated at a single 10% regardless of severity.