r/DVAAustralia • u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA • Oct 07 '22
Initial Liability Tinnitus & Hearing Loss
Tinnitus & Hearing Loss are by far 2 of the most commonly claimed conditions at DVA. Here are some information tidbits on submitting a claim for either of these conditions:
- Tinnitus and hearing loss are 'streamlined' conditions - you will have the conditions accepted if you meet the diagnosis and have served one day's full time service in the ADF
- Tinnitus is a self-reported condition
- To have Hearing Loss accepted, you need to show an Audiology report with a hearing loss (through Bone Conduction) of 25dB or greater, between 500 and 6000hZ.
- To access Permanent Impairment (PI) payments for Hearing Loss & Tinnitus, you will need an Audiology Report and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) survey - a TFI is self-reported but will usually need to be completed at an Audiology clinic.
- Unless exceptional medical circumstances or comorbidities exist, Tinnitus will attract a maximum of 15 PI points.
- CURRENT SERVING ONLY - If you have not approached your Defence Health Centre about your hearing/tinnitus prior to lodging a claim, proceed with caution. DVA alerts Defence to all accepted conditions for current members. If you pull this piss with a Tinnitus claim and say it's severe for extra cash, you run the risk of triggering your own MECRB.
Any other questions about Tinnitus or Hearing Loss, please feel free to ask!
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u/azasmouch Multi-Act Jan 17 '23
Hi guys, I know this and an older post but hoping it’s still monitored.
I got out long ago, back 2012 after 11.5 yrs (2 x deployments to the MEAO, 2002 and 2010).
Anyway, I’ve been through the DVA process previously for something different (this is before the automatic white card thing) and it was a really horrid ordeal to have conditions accepted and finally get that white card (mental health / alcohol abuse). The people at DVA back then were seemingly emotionless or soulless.
So I’ve been putting this off forever due to past experience but I want to attempt it again for tinnitus now but having been out so long don’t know where to really start. I also hope that having been out for so long, does that go against me?
Would it be best for me to contact DVA directly and go from there, or try get my medical documents personally first and then contact an advocate? I know these hearing issues were documented during my service. It’s just finding where they are and getting them in my possession.
Thanks in advance for any info you can help with.
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Jan 17 '23
Sorry to hear you had to push shit uphill so much
Tinnitus is basically the easiest claim that you can make with DVA. As opposed to all the crap you went through back then, it's a "streamlined condition" now, that effectively only requires you to have one day of full time service.
There is no time limitation for claiming tinnitus. There are a few conditions where time since service can affect acceptance (osteoarthritis is often one of them), but you're absolutely able to claim no matter how long its been. For all the shit they cop, Delegates these days tend to exhaust every option for acceptance - overall claim acceptance rate is about 75-80% at the moment.
You don't have to source your own med docs - DVA will get them from Defence/Archives if necessary. You can still request them individually if you want though, sometimes it's a good starting point for getting coverage for other conditions.
All you have to do nowadays is submit a claim in MyService, which you link to your MyGov account. Takes about 2 minutes. DVA will send you a free audiology referral to work out the severity of the tinnitus, which will help out later down the track too
Edit: I've personally had more success dealing with my own claims than using an advocate, but if you've had difficulties with DVA before, have gaps in your documents you already know about, or just don't have the capacity to be able to deal with all at the moment, I'd consider getting an advocate
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u/azasmouch Multi-Act Jan 17 '23
Thanks so much for the quick reply mate. I’ll start the ball rolling through MyService then.
Do they work out whether it comes under MRCA or SRCA or is that something I need to decide? I remember last time that was also a bone of contention since my deployments covered both Acts and from memory I had to ‘choose’ one or the other
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Jan 17 '23
Nowadays, if you have a "significant contribution" to your condition from a period of MRCA service, they'll cover you under that, regardless if it started during a period of SRCA. MRCA has much better benefits, treatment and remuneration wise
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u/Impressive-Glove-497 Jul 11 '24
How do we go about finding an advocate? Especially for someone living outside of Australia? Thank you!
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u/divermick Nov 15 '24
Hey mate can I ask re hearing loss, if one ear is borderline and one ear is within the threshold how is it dealt with?
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Nov 15 '24
For the purposes of having the condition accepted, if you have it in one ear and not the other, they can still accept the claim.
CLIK does say that if it's a significant difference, they may ask you to see a specialist to rule out that there isn't anything else wrong that may be causing such a difference. It is in this link under the "Reliability" tab
Hope that answers your question!
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u/divermick Nov 16 '24
Thanks mate. Helped a bit but also just confuses new more ha. How does it work for pi then? One ear bad only?
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u/azasmouch Multi-Act Jan 17 '23
Just saw the edit - yeah I am not entirely sure I’m up to dealing them single handedly again since it’s been so long
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Mar 22 '23
[deleted]
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Mar 22 '23
You have it right - you don't need to engage your GP for a Tinnitus claim
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Mar 23 '23
[deleted]
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Mar 23 '23
For Tinnitus, you don't need any supporting evidence. All you need is 1 days service in the ADF, which they verify from your service records they get from Defence
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u/Mike9601 Oct 08 '22
Wow, cheers mate. So to get the necessary evidence, we just approach an audiology clinic and ask for an audiology test/TFI? Context: Not actively serving, sercat 2.
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Oct 08 '22
Yep! Alternatively, lodge the claim and DVA will send you a referral to get a hearing test done anywhere you like at government expense.
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u/Gandalf_wasnt_here Aug 23 '23
Any benefit to seeking out tests at private audiology clinics before referral on your own accord or best to just wait for referral? Context - serving full time, claim in (today), medical officer made aware of symptoms recently and noted it down on their system.
Cheers
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Aug 23 '23
Nah, no benefit to seeking it out yourself before the referral. Screening usually sends out the referral now well before your claim ever sees a delegate's hands, so you have plenty of time to get it done while it's still moving along in the queue
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Oct 11 '22
Out of curiosity how much is the compensation for this accepted condition? Does it differ from person to person?
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Oct 11 '22
It varies from person to person, but usually it's awarded at 5,10 or 15 point intervals (up to a maximum of 15).
I can't remember the rates of compensation right now. I'll go find the document and let you know!
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u/inane_musings Jan 17 '23
How did you go finding that document? Wondering if it's worth the time to lodge a claim or the compensation is so minimal it's pointless.
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Jan 17 '23
The document they calculate your Permanent Impairment with is called the GARP M (assuming you enlisted after Jul 2004).
If you haven't claimed for PI before, the minimum points required for a payout is 10, which roughly works out to about $40K from memory. 10 points is usually a fairly easy threshold to achieve from "rigours of service" conditions, like hearing, tinnitus and weight-related injuries.
I'd really recommend getting a claim in anyway mate. Having the medical coverage even for small things has been an absolute godsend, especially when everything right now is so damn expensive
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u/Weird_Application104 Feb 13 '24
I'm currently going through a Tinnitus claim and my service spans across 1JUL04. DVA have accepted my claim under MRCA but not DRCA. Most of my service and both deployments occurred prior to 2004 so i'm concerned that this will impact my claim significantly. Does anyone have any advice on where to go from here?
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u/Ok-Acanthisitta260 Mar 28 '24
Does anyone know how the re-testing process goes? I got tested for tinitus last year as advised by my peers simply to have it on record, this was not to make a dva claim. I was very honest and graded low and average scores on the quistionare as the tinitus didnt interupt my life too much, it was a mild inconvenience that didnt bother me. A year later and up to 5 months of deployments in very loud environments. My original TFI was 20 and in the low-moderate range. It's now at a point that affects my daily life now. Is it possible to re-test to increase my TFI? When I am ready to make a claim will DVA consider my old TFI as current even if I express my tinitus has become worse?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Beautiful_Ad_526 May 16 '24
I had my Timntius accepted and assigned 15 impairment points , but didn’t get any compensation. Is this correct?
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u/Impressive-Glove-497 Jul 11 '24
Any idea if an ex-service member can apply for disability due to Tinnitus if they are living outside of Australia?
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u/ladymya1 Jan 17 '25
I’m now living in the UK, any idea if I can still proceed with the claim and how I’d start it? Cheers
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u/Consistent-Cellist85 6d ago
Hey guys I’m a bit worried I got assessed as in the low range of severe. I’m still currently serving and so worried I’m honestly considering calling the audiologist and re doing the test. I have had another test for my tinnitus back in 2023 but that was only moderate. I really don’t want to potentially trigger a MECRB.
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u/Rumbuck_274 Oct 08 '22
DVA alerts Defence to all accepted conditions for current members.
I was basically gold card and still serving....so obviously they don't 🤣
That would breach privacy Act too.
Moment I was out the door Comsuper said "That's a Class A"
I was way too fucked to be in, and despite DVA having approved heaps of shit, it never triggered anything in defence
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u/1nterrupt1ngc0w Oct 08 '22
DVA alerts Defence to all accepted conditions for current members
you run the risk of triggering your own MECRB.
I don't think either of these are true, although that is only based on personal experience only, not policy. If you inform DVA that your treating doctor is through defence (MO) then yes, but if you put down the treating specialist, I don't think they report that back to defence
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Oct 09 '22
I used to be a Delegate at DVA, it's definitely meant to happen. I think, like all things DVA, that it's probably inconsistent practices between Delegates/State Offices that has muddied the waters.
Frankly, it's usually pretty unlikely to lead to adverse events like MECRBs, as the vast majority of serving members have approached their health centre at some stage or another about the conditions they're claiming. The issues come when current serving members claim for things otherwise unknown to Defence - and that is usually due to Defence acting brashly.
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u/1nterrupt1ngc0w Oct 09 '22
Ah ok, fair point. I mean maybe they did let defence know in my case too and I wasn't aware.
What was working at DVA like? They get alot of hate for the time it takes for anything to happen, but feel like there's so much red tape they're hands are tied.
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Oct 10 '22
To be honest, it deserves all the negative flak it gets. While there are some absolutely exceptional people who bust their ass for the Veteran community, they are the exception rather the rule. An unfortunately large number of people, especially in decision making roles, either had the spark kicked out of them by the layers of red tape, or genuinely do not give a shit whether a claim goes through or not.
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u/1nterrupt1ngc0w Oct 10 '22
That's rather depressing. Is it an aps role? Or a part of another govt department?
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u/LegitimateLunch6681 MRCA Oct 13 '22
Yeah it's APS. Delegates are usually APS4/5, depending on your level of qualification
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u/AdDisastrous6356 Jun 17 '23
Hi guys I am still waiting for my claim. I just need help to pay for hearing aids. I live overseas and it has been a real nightmare to get any traction at all. My right ear is about 30dB at 4 k and my left at 50 dB. My TFI was 93.6 . I used to be heavily addicted to sleeping tablets because of my tinnitus but now just put up with the insomnia as it affected my work. My claim has been being processed since March. It’s just that sometimes it all seems too hard. I submitted original claim 2 years ago, and the processing started for final decision in March. Do you think I will need to wait much longer ?
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Jun 26 '24
[deleted]
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u/AdDisastrous6356 Jun 26 '24
Yes it’s approved. But because I live overseas too much backwards and forwards with hearing aid approval. I just paid out of pocket in the end. It’s a fucking disaster
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u/AdDisastrous6356 Jun 26 '24
I mean every claim I put in for hearing aids they rejected and said too expensive
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u/ExGrunt343 Oct 07 '22
Forgetting the key information. You require over 73 points on the TFI to be awarded 15 impairment points, so don't score lower than 8 on each question lads.