Is there an overall how-to guide for AF BCMR anywhere?

[Goonie]

I posted here a while ago about the disparity in the VA rating vs DoD rating for my fibromyalgia and I'm finally trying to get all my paperwork together. But where is a good place to start? Finding the form is easy enough but how do I make the best case for myself? Is there a good how to guide anywhere with "do's and don'ts" and general advice?

For example, AF only rated me on Fibromyalgia at 20%. VA rated me 40% for Fibromyalgia alone but 90% overall. Anxiety was on my PEB but was not included as unfitting and VA rated my Anxiety at 50%. I have a bunch of other conditions too, like chronic plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow, that I'm about to appeal/apply for. Should I contend that some of these other conditions should have been included as unfitting? Knowing what I know now I think they contributed to my overall state of bad health that led to my medical discharge.

I think I read somewhere here that you should always request some sort of medical review. Is that true?

Thanks for any help. I'll try to contribute as much as I can as I go through this process.

 

[pittpan2005]

I posted here a while ago about the disparity in the VA rating vs DoD rating for my fibromyalgia and I'm finally trying to get all my paperwork together. But where is a good place to start? Finding the form is easy enough but how do I make the best case for myself? Is there a good how to guide anywhere with "do's and don'ts" and general advice?

For example, AF only rated me on Fibromyalgia at 20%. VA rated me 40% for Fibromyalgia alone but 90% overall. Anxiety was on my PEB but was not included as unfitting and VA rated my Anxiety at 50%. I have a bunch of other conditions too, like chronic plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow, that I'm about to appeal/apply for. Should I contend that some of these other conditions should have been included as unfitting? Knowing what I know now I think they contributed to my overall state of bad health that led to my medical discharge.

I think I read somewhere here that you should always request some sort of medical review. Is that true?

Thanks for any help. I'll try to contribute as much as I can as I go through this process.

My two cents: 1.) Look at the conditions the PEB reviewed. Of the unfitting ones, figure out how to prove you were deserving of a higher rating for them. For those not deemed unfitting, see if there is evidence that would indicate they should have been found unfitting; i.e. removed from flight line because of eye site, etc. 2.) Look at your medical records and determine if any conditions should have been reviewed by the PEB, but were not. 3.) Look at your VA rating and dates. Do they date back to day after discharge? 4.) Overall, you are asking the BCMR to correct an error. You have to request a correction (a medical retirement) and prove you were deserving then. You can pull BCMR appeals and federal court cases to give you an idea of wording, evidence, etc.