(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 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]