I’m a reservist that got rated 100% P&T for PTSD & Depression after my service in Active Duty. I was doing my annual PHA and my doctor was not confident in my mental state for continuing drill so she recommended me to put me up for the MEB. Now my mind is racing all over the place that my rating is potentially in jeopardy. I’ve read horror stories online with people getting their LDES denied, going through IDES then getting a proposed reduction. Any help would be greatly appreciated for my situation. I feel utterly hopeless right now.
Starting the MEB process with 100% P&T and worried sick…
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Well you won't even get rated if they put you in non duty related IDES. So that's the first thing you are going to want to focus on. If duty related then you have a chance of a medical retirement or severance. However, you can choose IDES and only put the condition that is proposed to be unfitting and on the application you can put for DOD purposes only. Meaning when the VA rates the condition it will be only for military so none of your VA ratings are touched.
There is really no risk to your ratings. If you choose LDES you risk the military being allowed to use a rating not consistent with the VA's ratings and very poor protections so LDES is never really worth it. So the choice is IDES or IDES for DOD rating purposes only. Though even for those who did full IDES I have never seen a reduction using IDES. The VA tends to keep the ratings the same.
How would I know if they put me into non duty related IDES? I’m trying to see how I fit that criteria since I got rated for my PTSD after Active Duty. I transferred to the Reserves right after Active Duty and that’s when I started to file for my VA rating and eventually got 100% during my Reserve time.
I’m going through the MEB process. I elected IDES. I have had a 100% P&T rating for several years before this finally started. I filled out the VA form stating that I wanted to be rated for DoD purposes only.
It’s actually working to protect my VA rating so well that it’s to my detriment (in a way) This is because the most recent VA C&P examiner got lazy, and did not fill out my recent DBQ consistent with what I told him my flare ups were like, and/or he did not review what was on the previous exams. Lots of inconsistencies due to him “not understanding why I’m even being examined”
The MEB won’t look at my old DBQ since “the weight of the most recent C&P holds more relevance.” My DoD rating apparently will rest on that exam regardless of the past C&Ps. Apparently I can have a 30% VA rating and the DoD looking at the same issue will likely rate it at 10% because the most recent C&P didn’t have the right boxes checked.
I guess what I’m saying is that you are in a pretty good spot if you are already rated and don’t want things to change. So far for me I’ve only seen that the MEB process will ignore everything but the most recent exam, and at no time will those exams have an effect on anything but the DoD percentages.
It’s actually working to protect my VA rating so well that it’s to my detriment (in a way) This is because the most recent VA C&P examiner got lazy, and did not fill out my recent DBQ consistent with what I told him my flare ups were like, and/or he did not review what was on the previous exams. Lots of inconsistencies due to him “not understanding why I’m even being examined”
The MEB won’t look at my old DBQ since “the weight of the most recent C&P holds more relevance.” My DoD rating apparently will rest on that exam regardless of the past C&Ps. Apparently I can have a 30% VA rating and the DoD looking at the same issue will likely rate it at 10% because the most recent C&P didn’t have the right boxes checked.
I guess what I’m saying is that you are in a pretty good spot if you are already rated and don’t want things to change. So far for me I’ve only seen that the MEB process will ignore everything but the most recent exam, and at no time will those exams have an effect on anything but the DoD percentages.
Thank you for your input. This is interesting that they emphasize the most recent C&P and DBQ. Won’t it look weird that the two in comparison are vastly different considering what you told me? For example, lets say your old c&p doctor rated you much higher from your flare-ups and in comparison your new lazy c&p exam shows massive improvement technically since he barely put anything on there. Does this not warrant a rating reduction since it technically shows improvement?
If I hadn’t filled out the va form to be “rated for DoD purposes only” then yes, my VA ratings would be facing reduction because that guy got lazy.
Thank goodness that isn’t the case
He put diagnosis with a listing of symptoms that didn’t match the symptoms check boxes, omitted diagnosis that he then filled out the symptoms for, claimed he used tools to measure ROM that never were used, and completely ignored my testimony about flare ups. It is really scattered.
Thank goodness that isn’t the case
He put diagnosis with a listing of symptoms that didn’t match the symptoms check boxes, omitted diagnosis that he then filled out the symptoms for, claimed he used tools to measure ROM that never were used, and completely ignored my testimony about flare ups. It is really scattered.
I’m glad that your rating is safe from incompetence such as that and that is what makes me so anxious. I’ve read of people signing the form for dod purposes only but the case manager either didn’t turn the form in at all or made them go the other route which looks into your VA ratings…
It would have been more stressful but you would have filed a VARR and it would have gotten fixed and back to the rating it should have been most likely. IDES has a lot of protections in place that LDES does not.
Can you elaborate more on the protections? I personally do not care to get a DoD percentage. I just want to keep my rating with 0 risk and LDES seems to have everything I’m looking for
LDES Sucks. There is a reason you have to sign off on it to do it. LDES can be forced on a Soldier by the commander too. IDES was created to replace LDES because if something goes wrong on LDES you don't have a lot of recourse.
IDES allows you to appeal or rebut just about every part of the process. The iPEB determines whether a condition is fit or unit. If they find a condition unfit they determine if it is combat related or not. The VA rates conditions. That means that the military doesn't get to rate the condition. In LDES the military isn't bound by anyone. So without checks and balances Soldiers were getting crazy results such as 0% unfit rating for a condition and then the VA would rate that condition 100% a few short months later. You should care about the results. If you choose LDES and the results suck you could end up with severance and not medical retirement. Tricare for you and your family for life is worth a fortune.
If you choose IDES and dictate that the rating purposes are for DOD only then the VA can only rate for the military. It will not affect your current ratings. Typically, you only list your referred conditions that will be found unfit when choosing IDES with the directions to rate for DOD purposes only.
I’ve read and heard of too many horror stories of people going into IDES and have their paperwork messed up, for example some people have filled out the form which states to use DoD purposes only yet it hasn’t been submitted properly and getting their ratings reduced. I personally do not mind getting 0% on the DoD side. I’m comfortable with the insurance me and my wife have. I just do not want to risk anyone messing up my paperwork, I’ve heard it too many times and do not wish for it to happen to me.
Where are these stories? I haven't come across one. You do you. I have not seen it work well out for those who make decisions based on fear. This process has lifetime implications. A VA rating can be corrected at anytime. If you sign off on something now the chances of getting it changed via an ABCMR in the future are near zero.
Also, if the Soldier wrote DOD Purposes only and the VA didn't adhere to it then it would be a pain but would get fixed and changed back. That's no different then the VA screwing up and ordering RFE for conditions that by their own regulations should not be reviewed. It can happen but its slim and fixable. Not so, once completed with IDES or LDES. Even if you love CHAMPVA and get it for your family you have no control over how it will be in the future. Programs can change for the worse. Tricare gives you options not possible with other health insurances. My wife is medically retired and on SSDI. She has access to Tricare, Medicare, & VA healthcare. She gets most of her medical from the VA but the VA won't cover the medication that her community health provider prescribes for one of her more severe health conditions. She is able to get the best treatment due to having more than one option. The medication that helps that the VA won't cover she gets through Tricare with no problems.
When making life altering decisions its best to look at the long game. I can't picture a scenario that is likely where not giving yourself the best shot at a medical retirement is best.
I’m only just getting through the MEB portion. I was not advised by the OSC to do anything but submit a VA complaint via the VA.gov website.
If there is another option, I’m being told that I have the option to appeal during the PEB. Is that correct advice? Where would a VARR be applied to?
I agree that IDES is the way to go
I completed the IDES by electing "for DoD purposes only". I can confirm that the VA honored that request and left my P&T alone. The VA even sent me a letter breaking everything down as to what they would have rated me had I allowed it.
When you get the iPEB document that is where you can request FPEB and or VARR. If you are just protesting the rating its a VARR. If you are protesting something else such as a condition found fit that should be unfit or a condition isn't listed as combat related but should be then you would need FPEB. Basically the VA rates everything. So if its a rating issue the VARR is the VA sending it to higher level review appeal. If it has to do with being fit or unfit, combat related or not that may be challenged via FPEB. So basically you are asking to challenge the informal boards ruling and requesting a Formal Board to decide.
So even if that new rating VA sent you was lower than 100 they still wouldn’t do anything else? What if they found that there was an error that had to be fixed or other reasons to look into it?
If there is ever an error or fraud, the VA is obligated to correct things at any time. My rating was technically higher due to various increases combined with potential specialty pays. But yet the VA honored my request and did not change anything. So long as the change, up or down, is not due to fraud or error, the VA is to leave the rating alone should you make that request during your initial PEBLO meeting/document signing.