I’m missing all hearing at a certain frequency tied to jet engines. It interferes with my ability to pick out consonants when people are talking...but the VA says it doesn’t affect my hearing. My wife disagrees and I use closed captioning all the time but....
The VA’s audiologists are hyper trained in loss of hearing at high frequencies. You are entitled to another test every 18 months. You will lose the ability to understand women voices first. And they are very good at detecting this.
If their measurements did not show hearing loss, it is not sufficient for them to recommend hearing aids.
VA hearing aids are top of the line and free for qualified vets. But the audiologists will not recommend them unless your life is impacted. The usual question is . . . are you on the phone X hours per day. If not, then the life changing aspects of hearing aids (battery management, perpetual fear of loss, programming of them) are not worth enduring.