Seattle Regional VA Timelines:

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Just got a memo from my PEBLO. The memo is from the PEB sent to the VA. It's dated 03 July 2013 it states.

MEMORANDUM FOR US Department of Veterans Affairs, SeaTac Processing Center, 17930 Pacific Hwy S, SeaTac, WA 98188.

SUBJECT: Request for Additional Rating Consideration - DES Case #........

1. Subject case is returned to your activity for further disability rating review and necessary action, as requested per enclosed election.

2. Please review, and if appropriate, provide an updated Disability Evaluation System Proposed Rating Decision to this office. A written response is required, even if there is no change.

It is signed by the President of the PEB.. I really hope they give 40% for my diabetes... Can't wait to get out...
 
scoutout13 said:
Just got a memo from my PEBLO. The memo is from the PEB sent to the VA. It's dated 03 July 2013 it states.

MEMORANDUM FOR US Department of Veterans Affairs, SeaTac Processing Center, 17930 Pacific Hwy S, SeaTac, WA 98188.

SUBJECT: Request for Additional Rating Consideration - DES Case #........

1. Subject case is returned to your activity for further disability rating review and necessary action, as requested per enclosed election.

2. Please review, and if appropriate, provide an updated Disability Evaluation System Proposed Rating Decision to this office. A written response is required, even if there is no change.

It is signed by the President of the PEB.. I really hope they give 40% for my diabetes... Can't wait to get out...
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Good deal and appreciate the posting! Positive thinking yields positive results; in my opinion. ;)

To that extent, I received an official notification today via an e-mail from my PEBLO that my VARR request memorandum was approved by the USAPDA PEB and then transmitted to the DoVA D-RAS.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
FYI for all you guys!

Email traffic based off some concerns from senior ranking officers, these are dated around 09 JULY 2013
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDES Team,

LTC Les Campbell from Ft Bragg asked a question that I have been asked over these past 2 weeks from multiple MTFs. This is an excellent, detailed response from COL Carl Johnson, Director of the PDA, on the current situation.
I feel this is information that all of you should receive.

VR - George

George R. Goodwin, Jr, MD
COL, MC
Director, Disability Evaluation System Service Line Office of The Surgeon General MEDCOM G-3/5/7
Ph: 703-681-3109
BB: 703-887-5087

Sir:

Wanted to ask for your advice on how best to address the growing number of cases with significantly protracted cases at DRAS. (please see e-mail from Ft Bragg DCG below). I cannot under-emphasize how much attention this is receiving from senior leadership here and how powerless we feel WRT making any changes to the process at DRAS. I realize the extreme level of scrutiny VA is receiving but see no movement and we have no recourse to address senior leader concerns.

What can we do assure them that we are pushing as hard as we can on these cases?

Many thanks; VR

Les






Les,

Going to give you a long explanation because I want to be as transparent as possible -- the operational commanders you support need to be fully aware of what's going on with IDES. I included COL George Goodwin for his SA -- he already knows the situation, but I want him to be aware of what I'm sharing with you so he doesn't get blind-sided by well-informed questions from senior operational leaders.

The frustration with the backlog goes all the way up to the very senior levels of the Army, DoD and the VA. Average days at the DRAS for initial ratings is now 92 against a goal of 15. Army is meeting goals in EVERY stage of IDES we control. The G1, the VCSA and OSD leadership have directly engaged VA at the Under Secretary level (Under Secretary Hickey). Secretary Hickey is responsible for VBA and as such, the DRAS. Here's what they're doing...

We (the integrated IDES team) have a challenge to address. Simply put the DRAS backlog at both initial ratings and benefits stage is staggering. VA, DoD and Army leadership had to determine which stage to prioritize. The decision was made to prioritize final rating/benefits phase (note that VA raters work at both stages similar to Army adjudicators who do the initial IPEB and then review ratings, apply them and apply other policy and statutory adjudicative decisions influenced by the ratings when they come back from the DRAS). We (military leadership) told VA that we were willing to see initial rating slow (temporarily) as long as they put effort on getting final ratings
(benefits) to Soldiers closer to when they separated. Our concern was that Soldiers were separating and it was taking many of them upwards of 6 months to receive their first check from VA after separation (particularly AC Soldiers).
We thought that was a fundamental failure of IDES goals that included the desire to ensure Soldiers didn't transition to Veteran status with no financial help during the transition.

VA re-allocated their raters to focus 60% on getting benefits completed and 40% on getting initial ratings done. This action coupled with decreased input from the Army and increased number of raters should have allowed them to maintain monthly initial rating output exceeding 2000 while getting at the huge backlog in benefits which the Army and DoD supported. Their re-allocation has allowed some progress against final ratings/benefits, but not what they predicted and not what we expected. Meanwhile, the number of initial ratings they complete has not increased, but rather decreased or stayed fairly constant -- that means the initial rating backlog continues to grow. The situation becomes worse.

VA also said that too many cases at the DRAS lacked info that the Army could provide so we agreed to send Soldiers to work at the DRAS with access to Army systems so they could pull missing information OR reach back to units (usually
RC) or MTFs to get the info required to make cases "ready to rate". Our Soldiers out there are doing good work -- our latest assessment is that under 2% of cases are now "frustrated" because of missing information that the Army has (e.g. STRs, personnel documents, etc.). While that's true, it hasn't translated to more cases getting initial ratings. Of note: we found that VA's observation of frustrated cases was over-stated -- less than 5% were frustrated for missing "Army info" before the Soldiers went out there to work.

Significant issue we identified to VA leadership was the fact that cases at DRAS initial rating phase were frustrated due to insufficient/inadequate C&P exams provided from VHA (or VBA contracted Docs) to VBA/DRAS for ratings.
VA's QC program to ensure the exams were checked before the DRAS accepted them was not working. VA pulled manpower from elsewhere and placed it at Hood, Bragg and a few other MTFs to implement better QA to ensure exams met standards before they were sent to the DRAS where raters would then have to request new exams after the case had sat there for months already. VA reports that this has improved quality and increased the % of cases "ready to rate".
We haven't seen that translate into quicker turn-around and VA says that's because they're still working through the backlog of cases received before those practices were in place.

VA has increased the number of raters at the DRAS to rate cases and congress exempted VA from furlough. We will be sending 5 more Soldiers to work at the DRAS beginning in Oct (raising the number from 15 to 20).

Biggest frustration we have (and I'm sure the biggest frustration that Soldiers and PEBLOs have) is that there is no way for a troop or commander to predict how long a case will be at the DRAS for ratings. Some are turned around in 5 days while others are there more than 6 months. VA claims they are doing first in, first out, but we know that's not true. We recommended they consider establishing some kind of complexity based model mirroring what you all did at Bragg, and we mark the cases for them indicating which ones we did as complexity based, but they have rejected the idea.

I see the biggest problem as this: Commanders, Soldiers and IDES stakeholders simply do not have any predictability -- Soldiers can't plan their lives and are taken by surprise when their case comes back really early or really late.
The number of congressional inquiries is sky-rocketing. We have talked to the staffers and members on the Veterans and Armed Services committees to let them know what we see -- they understand where the problem is.

As for the augmentees sent to "Walter Reed" -- they're actually sent to all three PEBs and the HQs (divided out based on where we need help). Without them we would not have gotten out from under the significant backlog we had at the PEBs and the Agency. The augmentees have been tasked twice for 6 months.
Now that we're out from under the IDES backlog we had, we will need to address the TDRL backlog (we accepted risk on doing TDRL because we can keep Soldiers on there for up to 5 years so we could address IDES). That risk moved the TDRL population from about 5K to more than 16K over the last two years. So that means we have a TDRL backlog that we must address.

As you likely know, statutory guidance requires us to put nearly 28% of Soldiers who go through IDES onto the TDRL (primarily a result of BH conditions that require 6-18 months on TDRL and then a re-eval). When we picked up production of IDES over the last 2 years and really pushed a large number of cases through, that had a corresponding impact on the number of troops we put on TDRL. Those troops are now starting to come due for their re-evals. The impact is that while the number of troops referred into IDES may be dropping, the workload on both the MEBs and PEBs will not drop off for another 2 years until we get the TDRL backlog eliminated while still maintaining all our time standards on IDES cases. That's what our focus will be the next two years.

Hope that helps explain the whole situation -- I plan to provide that update during the IDES portion of the R2C SRG that will be held on 18 Jul with the VCSA and senior commanders.

You're welcome to share this with the DCG as you see fit -- no one is trying to hide the ball here. I believe it's essential that our commanders know what we're doing to try and support them and their Soldiers. We are pushing HARD at VA to provide more predictability.

COL J.

CARL M. JOHNSON
COL, GS
Director, US Army Physical Disability Agency
 
153 days and no word, started the whole process last july/august. The worst part is I have already registered for school and set all that up. Guess it wont be happening now.
 
joshbhs04 said:
153 days and no word, started the whole process last july/august. The worst part is I have already registered for school and set all that up. Guess it wont be happening now.
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I know how you feel Im nearing 180 days and am supposed to start school the end of next month and am trying to figure it out if I may be able to pull it off. Im just hoping for a miracle at this point.
 
dwagneremt said:
I know how you feel Im nearing 180 days and am supposed to start school the end of next month and am trying to figure it out if I may be able to pull it off. Im just hoping for a miracle at this point.
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Yep, school starts aug 26th. Just called the 1-800 # for fun, said I needed a dd214. Theyve been saying the same crap for months.
 
joshbhs04 said:
Yep, school starts aug 26th. Just called the 1-800 # for fun, said I needed a dd214. Theyve been saying the same crap for months.
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My PEBLO told me to start a congressional....I lost a job opportunity over this waiting game
 
I started a congressional and the ombudsman was calling the VA rep on post today and having him send an email inquiring about the delay. Plus I am going to see if my COC can send something up and see what they cant find out from either the PEBLO supervisor or someone higher. Im done playing the VAs games and dont care who I piss off at this point. I am also debating flying out there and visiting there office for two weeks straight and asking multiple times per day if my case is done.
 
Hit the 90 day mark today for waiting on final ratings!!
 
Warrior644 said:
Congratulations on the recent receipt of DoD and DoVA preliminary ratings! :)

If I may ask, did you have any behavioral health medical condition(s) found unfit for duty by the PEB? If not, then your opportunity to receive a PDRL finding determination is potentially favorable; if that's your overall expectation from DoD.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
Click to expand...

Hi Warrior644 - None of my five medically unacceptable conditions found unfit by the PEB were behavioral health related so I hope you're right. Thx so much:)
 
Warrior644 said:
Congratulations on the recent receipt of DoD and DoVA preliminary ratings! :)

If I may ask, did you have any behavioral health medical condition(s) found unfit for duty by the PEB? If not, then your opportunity to receive a PDRL finding determination is potentially favorable; if that's your overall expectation from DoD.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
Click to expand...
______________________________________

Hi Warrior644,

None of my five "medically unacceptable" conditions on the 12 Apr 2013 PEB memo to VA requesting ratings were behavioral health medical conditions. On Jul 15th my PEBLO shared preliminary ratings as 50% DOD / 80% VA and then I received a VA claim packet in the mail today Jul 19th with 40% for my Fibromyalgia and 10% for my Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis which were two of the five medically unacceptable conditions on PEB memo but the VA claim. However, it also includes 70% for "Depressive disorder NOS (also claimed as mental condition, depression, anxiety and OCD)" which really surprised me because it wasn't one of the unfit conditions....the documentation says "an examination will be schedule at a future date to evaluate the severity of your service connected Depressive disorder NOS (also claimed....)".

So now, I'm really really curious about the DOD 50% rating and hoping it's a permanent retirement and not temporary. I think it may be because I had submitted my VA claim Nov 2011 before the IDES process officially started and my VA claim packet shows my rating from Nov 2011-Jan 2013 at 50%, then 80% from Jan 2013 til now (it states my depressive disorder was discovered in Jan during C&P exam). On a positive note, I also received a VA check for backpay to Nov 2011.

It seems like their making some progress with claims....I hope this helps.


Timeline: (14 1/2 yrs total = 8.2 active + 6 guard)
FEB 2010 - Injured on active duty w/LODs
OCT 2010 - Sent back to mday/drill status - couldn't take fitness test (mthly drills w/in profile)
OCT 2011 - Fit-for-duty exam & recommended for MEB
NOV 2011 - Filed VA Claim
AUG 2012 - Transferred to guard med hold unit (no drills - only dr appts)
JAN 2013 - C&P exams
Feb 2013 - MEB
MAR 2013 - Signed NARSUM
12APR2013 - PEB unfit memo sent for VA ratings (5 x medically unacceptable conditions)
JUL 1st 2013 - eBenefits claims changed to "Closed" (three claims were showing - 2011, 2012 that I didn't file, and 2013 IDES)
JUL 12th 2013 - eBenefits changed to "Complete" for the original Nov 2011 claim; said a decision was made and a letter mailed
JUL 14th 2013 - I emailed PEBLO
JUL 16th 2013 - PEBLO checked system and said 199 being prepared; when I begged for preliminary ratings, shared I was rated 50% DOD & 80% VA but wouldn't be final until 199 complete
JUL 19th 2013 - Received VA Claim Letter in the mail w/80% documented ratings and one service connected condition is rated 70% but it wasn't one of the PEB memo's unacceptable conditions
 
Just a check in to see if I am out of whack or should just continue the wait. Unfit memo for two related conditions: to PEB 28 March 2013, Memo dated 4 April, VA started on 10 April 2013. Peggy and ebenefits both say prep for decision since 26 April 2013. No further info from MSC or PEBLO. Can't get an estimated time frame. 8 contentions overall. I just hit the 100 day mark waiting for ratings. Haven't called DAV - not sure what else they can do, if anything. Is 100+ still reasonable (By VA reality) or should I worry (more) that something has gone FUBAR?
 
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PsychOfficer said:
Just a check in to see if I am out of whack or should just continue the wait. Unfit memo for two related conditions: to PEB 28 March 2013, Memo dated 4 April, VA started on 10 April 2013. Peggy and ebenefits both say prep for decision since 26 April 2013. No further info from MSC or PEBLO. Can't get an estimated time frame. 8 contentions overall. I just hit the 100 day mark waiting for ratings. Haven't called DAV - not sure what else they can do, if anything. Is 100+ still reasonable (By VA reality) or should I worry (more) that something has gone FUBAR?
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100+ is probably still reasonable by VA standards. Im at day 180 or so. The DAV would probably be able to tell you better what is going on then the PEBLO or MSC will. Im not sure how helpful your peblo and msc rep are though. From looking at things with 20/20 hindsight if I were you after day 120 I would start a congressional if things still havent changed and your not able to find out any more info. I just started mine and was told it can take up to 30 days until they hear back from the VA. A DAV rep can see exactly whats on the VAs computer so you should be able to find out at least whats going on and maybe get an idea from them when they expect the VA to make a decision. The something that has gone FUBAR is the VA.
 
Dwatson said:
Hi Warrior644 - None of my five medically unacceptable conditions found unfit by the PEB were behavioral health related so I hope you're right. Thx so much:)
Click to expand...

Good deal; you are welcome! :)

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
Dwatson said:
______________________________________

Hi Warrior644,

None of my five "medically unacceptable" conditions on the 12 Apr 2013 PEB memo to VA requesting ratings were behavioral health medical conditions. On Jul 15th my PEBLO shared preliminary ratings as 50% DOD / 80% VA and then I received a VA claim packet in the mail today Jul 19th with 40% for my Fibromyalgia and 10% for my Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis which were two of the five medically unacceptable conditions on PEB memo but the VA claim. However, it also includes 70% for "Depressive disorder NOS (also claimed as mental condition, depression, anxiety and OCD)" which really surprised me because it wasn't one of the unfit conditions....the documentation says "an examination will be schedule at a future date to evaluate the severity of your service connected Depressive disorder NOS (also claimed....)".

So now, I'm really really curious about the DOD 50% rating and hoping it's a permanent retirement and not temporary. I think it may be because I had submitted my VA claim Nov 2011 before the IDES process officially started and my VA claim packet shows my rating from Nov 2011-Jan 2013 at 50%, then 80% from Jan 2013 til now (it states my depressive disorder was discovered in Jan during C&P exam). On a positive note, I also received a VA check for backpay to Nov 2011.

It seems like their making some progress with claims....I hope this helps.


Timeline: (14 1/2 yrs total = 8.2 active + 6 guard)
FEB 2010 - Injured on active duty w/LODs
OCT 2010 - Sent back to mday/drill status - couldn't take fitness test (mthly drills w/in profile)
OCT 2011 - Fit-for-duty exam & recommended for MEB
NOV 2011 - Filed VA Claim
AUG 2012 - Transferred to guard med hold unit (no drills - only dr appts)
JAN 2013 - C&P exams
Feb 2013 - MEB
MAR 2013 - Signed NARSUM
12APR2013 - PEB unfit memo sent for VA ratings (5 x medically unacceptable conditions)
JUL 1st 2013 - eBenefits claims changed to "Closed" (three claims were showing - 2011, 2012 that I didn't file, and 2013 IDES)
JUL 12th 2013 - eBenefits changed to "Complete" for the original Nov 2011 claim; said a decision was made and a letter mailed
JUL 14th 2013 - I emailed PEBLO
JUL 16th 2013 - PEBLO checked system and said 199 being prepared; when I begged for preliminary ratings, shared I was rated 50% DOD & 80% VA but wouldn't be final until 199 complete
JUL 19th 2013 - Received VA Claim Letter in the mail w/80% documented ratings and one service connected condition is rated 70% but it wasn't one of the PEB memo's unacceptable conditions
Click to expand...

From a DoVA D-RAS processing perspective in my opinion, it's potentially relaxing to hear it seems that a VSR performed their duties efficiency during the evaluation of your STR for symptomology of a behavioral health medical condition and referenced it with the corresponding VASRD rating criteria.

To that extent, I still believe that a PDRL determination is still a potential valid outcome of the PEB's adjudication. Indeed, enjoy your DoVA disability compensation back pay; it's well-earned and well-deserved. ;)

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
I go sign my 199 tomorrow yay!!! Wats the average time for the out message?
 
Finally moved to prep for decision on my final ratings with a estimated completion date between August 17 and September 15
 
LizzeKay said:
I go sign my 199 tomorrow yay!!! Wats the average time for the out message?
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Good deal! Congratulations! :)

Based upon the information from other PEB Forum members on this specific topic, I have gathered that receipt of official military separation/retirement orders can potentially take an approximate duration between 2 days and 14 days, or potentially even a longer duration of time; there are not any guarantees on the actual receipt.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
Ok so just talked to my peblo. I have been waiting on ratings for a little over 60 days. I am aware that is not that long but today I was informed I won't see anything for another 250 to 300 days. Does this seem right? Is there anything I can do? I was going to do a congressional at the 150 day mark but was also told this would not do anything. 360 days seems a bit ridiculous considering I am being discharged for 1 condition not multiple.
 
I sign my 199 next Tuesday since I'm on leave all week this week
 
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