[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 38, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 38CFR17.149]

[Page 713-714]
 
            TITLE 38--PENSIONS, BONUSES, AND VETERANS' RELIEF
 
                CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
 
PART 17_MEDICAL--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  17.149  Sensori-neural aids.

    (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, VA will 
furnish needed sensori-neural aids (i.e., eyeglasses, contact lenses, 
hearing aids) only to veterans otherwise receiving VA care or services 
and only as provided in this section.
    (b) VA will furnish needed sensori-neural aids (i.e., eyeglasses, 
contact lenses, hearing aids) to the following veterans:
    (1) Those with a compensable service-connected disability;
    (2) Those who are former prisoners of war;
    (3) Those awarded a Purple Heart;
    (4) Those in receipt of benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151;
    (5) Those in receipt of increased pension based on the need for 
regular aid and attendance or by reason of being permanently housebound;
    (6) Those who have a visual or hearing impairment that resulted from 
the existence of another medical condition for which the veteran is 
receiving VA care, or which resulted from treatment of that medical 
condition;
    (7) Those with a significant functional or cognitive impairment 
evidenced by deficiencies in activities of

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daily living, but not including normally occurring visual or hearing 
impairments; and
    (8) Those visually or hearing impaired so severely that the 
provision of sensori-neural aids is necessary to permit active 
participation in their own medical treatment.
    (c) VA will furnish needed hearing aids to those veterans who have 
service-connected hearing disabilities rated 0 percent if there is 
organic conductive, mixed, or sensory hearing impairment, and loss of 
pure tone hearing sensitivity in the low, mid, or high-frequency range 
or a combination of frequency ranges which contribute to a loss of 
communication ability; however, hearing aids are to be provided only as 
needed for the service-connected hearing disability.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501,1707(b)

[62 FR 30242, June 3, 1997, as amended at 69 FR 33575, June 16, 2004]