Found Fit and separating

J

josephg265

Well-Known Member
Registered Member
Hello all!
I am new to this forum so please excuse the questions, I just wanted to have some insight and hear from other people's experiences as I have been trying to find past threads, but haven't found anything near my situation.

I have been going through a MEB for 2 years and fighting it to finally be found FIT to continue service for personal reasons. My question is when I finally separate at the end of my enlistment later down the line and want to apply for VA benefits will my MEB findings not play into account and they will just look at my medical records or will they give me no rating and ignore that disability since I was found fit in the Air Force. I only ask because is it worth the hassle to reapply for a disability if I have already gone through it on the DOD side.
 
josephg265 said:
Hello all!
I am new to this forum so please excuse the questions, I just wanted to have some insight and hear from other people's experiences as I have been trying to find past threads, but haven't found anything near my situation.

I have been going through a MEB for 2 years and fighting it to finally be found FIT to continue service for personal reasons. My question is when I finally separate at the end of my enlistment later down the line and want to apply for VA benefits will my MEB findings not play into account and they will just look at my medical records or will they give me no rating and ignore that disability since I was found fit in the Air Force. I only ask because is it worth the hassle to reapply for a disability if I have already gone through it on the DOD side.
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If found fit none of your exams stick. Its like you were never rated by the VA. That's because during IDES its proposed ratings and they convert after being found unfit and medically separated or retired. So those proposed ratings along with the exams go away. You will need to redo them. I suggest doing the BDD program. You get all of your claims in and exams done a several months before you ETS so that once you are out and upload your DD214 you claim can be finished quickly and your benefits can start right away.
 
Provis said:
If found fit none of your exams stick. Its like you were never rated by the VA. That's because during IDES its proposed ratings and they convert after being found unfit and medically separated or retired. So those proposed ratings along with the exams go away. You will need to redo them. I suggest doing the BDD program. You get all of your claims in and exams done a several months before you ETS so that once you are out and upload your DD214 you claim can be finished quickly and your benefits can start right away.
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I specifically asked my PEBLO this question during the inbrief concerning the exams (I have an approved retirement, so I'm betting on a presumed fit for duty). He stated the C&P exams completed during the MEB are good for a year and can be used for a BDD claim. Is that just another false statement by a PEBLO?

As bad as mine were done...I'd rather them be deleted anways. Lol
 
338reezens said:
I specifically asked my PEBLO this question during the inbrief concerning the exams (I have an approved retirement, so I'm betting on a presumed fit for duty). He stated the C&P exams completed during the MEB are good for a year and can be used for a BDD claim. Is that just another false statement by a PEBLO?

As bad as mine were done...I'd rather them be deleted anways. Lol
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Yes and no. The VA may use the exams but no guarantees. You will need to file new claims for each condition again and BDD is the route you might be able to go depending on timeline of when you are getting out. There is window to do BDD program. My wife forgot to claim some conditions and did a BDD claim on top of her IDES stuff. The C&P exams are part of your medical records so they can be used. The VA isn't very consistent and so I don't like to say blanket statements for things like this. So I would hope for the best but prepare for the worst by setting your expectations that you may need to do them again.

Lastly, this forum not only helps Soldiers now but also into the future as these posts get read over and over again. I would appreciate it if you could come back to this post and let us all know if you had to redo the C&P exams or not. That help give others some insight:)
 
Provis said:
Yes and no. The VA may use the exams but no guarantees. You will need to file new claims for each condition again and BDD is the route you might be able to go depending on timeline of when you are getting out. There is window to do BDD program. My wife forgot to claim some conditions and did a BDD claim on top of her IDES stuff. The C&P exams are part of your medical records so they can be used. The VA isn't very consistent and so I don't like to say blanket statements for things like this. So I would hope for the best but prepare for the worst by setting your expectations that you may need to do them again.

Lastly, this forum not only helps Soldiers now but also into the future as these posts get read over and over again. I would appreciate it if you could come back to this post and let us all know if you had to redo the C&P exams or not. That help give others some insight:)
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Yea, tracking all new claims, etc. I was hoping to file BDD claims and have it rolled into IDES, but I don't hit the BDD window until 1 March. It will be close, as my packet just went to the Narsum stage last week and my MEB is moving pretty fast. (Profile was signed in Nov).
I'm preparing to do them again, my issue now is finding a place to redo them if needed. I don't think going back yo the local QTC is my best option since I filed a complaint against them. Lol.

Absolutely, if I am presumed fit for duty....I'll update with what happens next with the exams.
 
Provis said:
If found fit none of your exams stick. Its like you were never rated by the VA. That's because during IDES its proposed ratings and they convert after being found unfit and medically separated or retired. So those proposed ratings along with the exams go away. You will need to redo them. I suggest doing the BDD program. You get all of your claims in and exams done a several months before you ETS so that once you are out and upload your DD214 you claim can be finished quickly and your benefits can start right away.
Click to expand...
Hello, thank you for the information and input, it really answered a lot of my questions and I hope it helped answered others. I have one more question however, when I do get out and go through the VA claims again, will they be looking at my NARSUM, and would me being found FIT for duty affect my future ratings with the VA? I’m sorry in advance for the questions, I am trying to navigate the site to my best ability, but have not found a lot of answers.

I plan on doing the BDD program like you suggested.
 
Provis said:
Yes and no. The VA may use the exams but no guarantees. You will need to file new claims for each condition again and BDD is the route you might be able to go depending on timeline of when you are getting out. There is window to do BDD program. My wife forgot to claim some conditions and did a BDD claim on top of her IDES stuff. The C&P exams are part of your medical records so they can be used. The VA isn't very consistent and so I don't like to say blanket statements for things like this. So I would hope for the best but prepare for the worst by setting your expectations that you may need to do them again.

Lastly, this forum not only helps Soldiers now but also into the future as these posts get read over and over again. I would appreciate it if you could come back to this post and let us all know if you had to redo the C&P exams or not. That help give others some insight:)
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Update: I was found unfit eventhough I had signed retirement orders in hand. Since the orders were signed/dated after the MEB began, presumption of fitness did not apply.
 
338reezens said:
Update: I was found unfit eventhough I had signed retirement orders in hand. Since the orders were signed/dated after the MEB began, presumption of fitness did not apply.
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Curious as to what branch you are in?
 
josephg265 said:
Hello, thank you for the information and input, it really answered a lot of my questions and I hope it helped answered others. I have one more question however, when I do get out and go through the VA claims again, will they be looking at my NARSUM, and would me being found FIT for duty affect my future ratings with the VA? I’m sorry in advance for the questions, I am trying to navigate the site to my best ability, but have not found a lot of answers.

I plan on doing the BDD program like you suggested.
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I don’t believe the VA looks at your NARSUM. VA should just be going off of all your C&P exams.

The NARSUM is just a detailed summary of what is going on with you, I.E. your diagnosis you have and how it came about and what all is going on with you and how affects your performance. Hopefully that makes sense??
 
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