If you served in the Navy, there is a good chance your hearing paid a price. Jet engines on the flight deck. Engine rooms running at full throttle. Weapons systems. Diesel machinery. Years of noise exposure, often without adequate protection. The result shows up in VA claims data year after year: tinnitus is the single most commonly claimed VA disability, and hearing loss isn’t far behind.
More than 1.6 million veterans received disability compensation for hearing loss in 2025, and more than 3 million received compensation for tinnitus. Navy veterans make up a significant share of both numbers. If you haven’t filed — or if you filed years ago and haven’t revisited your claim — this post covers what you need to know right now.
Ivan Buxton Gay Jr., a Navy veteran who served aboard the USS Forrestal, has followed veterans’ benefits issues closely for years. This is one of the most commonly underfiled claims in the community, and the window to get the rating right may be narrowing.
What the VA Currently Provides for Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
The VA rates tinnitus under Diagnostic Code 6260 at a flat 10%, regardless of severity or whether it affects one ear or both. As of 2026, that rating provides $180.42 per month.
That number sounds modest on its own. But tinnitus rarely stands alone, and this is where Navy veterans often leave money on the table. When combined with hearing loss, sleep disorders, or mental health conditions also linked to military noise exposure, total monthly compensation can climb well into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. A veteran with tinnitus at 10%, hearing loss at 10%, and a knee condition at 20% would have a combined rating of approximately 40% using VA math, which provides $795.84 per month.
Hearing loss itself is rated on a scale from 0% to 100% depending on severity, measured through an official audiology exam. Even a 0% service-connected hearing loss rating is worth establishing — it opens the door to future increases and VA healthcare for that condition.
What’s Changing — And Why You Should File Now
This is the part Ivan Buxton Gay Jr. wants Navy veterans to watch. The VA has proposed significant changes to how tinnitus is rated under Diagnostic Code 6260. The proposed rule would eliminate standalone tinnitus ratings, instead requiring tinnitus to be attributed to another ratable condition — such as hearing loss, a perforated eardrum, or Ménière’s disease — to receive a disability rating.
The final rule has not been implemented — the current 10% rating under Diagnostic Code 6260 remains in effect. But the proposal has been in development for several years and could be finalized at any point. Veterans already receiving a tinnitus rating are grandfathered in — the proposed changes would not reduce or eliminate existing compensation. The rule, if finalized, would only affect new claims filed after the effective date.
The practical takeaway: if you have tinnitus and haven’t filed, the time to act is before the rule changes, not after.
What Proof You Need to File
Three things establish service connection for tinnitus or hearing loss: a current diagnosis, proof of noise exposure during service, and a link between the two.
For noise exposure, relevant proof includes military occupational specialty records — infantry, aviation, artillery, and armor are among the MOSs recognized for high noise exposure — as well as service treatment records showing audiograms, hearing complaints, or documented noise exposure. For Navy veterans, that means records documenting work on the flight deck, in machinery spaces, around weapons systems, or in any other high-noise environment aboard ship.
Buddy testimonials— written accounts from fellow service members who can attest to the noisy environments you shared — can meaningfully strengthen a claim. These carry real weight with the VA, particularly for tinnitus, which cannot be measured by a machine and relies heavily on the veteran’s credible self-report.
A personal testimonial describing when tinnitus began, how it affects daily life, and how it connects specifically to service duties is one of the most important pieces of proof a veteran can submit. Write it clearly and in detail.
How to File
Claims for tinnitus and hearing loss are filed through VA.gov using VA Form 21-526EZ. Before filing, schedule an audiology exam — the VA will only accept results from an approved facility, so confirm the exam is conducted by a licensed audiologist using VA-approved protocols. The VA will also typically schedule a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam as part of the claims process.
Most tinnitus claims are decided within three to five months, though timelines vary by regional office and whether a C&P exam is required. Given the VA’s current staffing losses — including nearly 2,000 fewer claims processors than a year ago — that timeline may stretch. Filing sooner rather than later puts you ahead of a backlog that is only likely to grow.
If a claim has already been denied, that isn’t the end of the road. Veterans can file a Supplemental Claim with stronger proof , request a Higher-Level Review, or appeal through the Board of Veterans Appeals. The DAV, VFW, and American Legion all offer free claims assistance — a VSO can review your file and identify gaps in the proof before you refile.
For the full overview of current VA disability rates and claim guidance, visit VA.gov.
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