Please bear with me, I'm a civilian and I've been Googling for hours. My husband was active duty Army 9 years. Then he was Reserve, but on profile for medical. He was finally permanently medically retired in July after 14 years. Med board took a while. We only just got married in May so I am new to all of this. He's gotten no help with the stack of papers he was given when he retired. It was an act of congress just to remove his ex wife and former step children as dependents so I dread asking more questions there. We live no where near an Army base to ask an RSO. He's called and emailed an RSO but never heard back. He gets VA disability instead of retired pay because it's the larger amount. I don't know if SBP is different than life insurance. I don't know if we need both. I'm unsure what is available to us. I don't know what future benefits we should look into because what I've read so far boggles the mind. He's 80% through the VA but 30% through med board which doesn't make sense to me either. He said he wants me to be able to pay off debts (his exes created a lot of them for him) should the unimaginable happen but I have no one to point the way. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Confused about steps to take after medical retirement.
- Thread starter Kp1980
- Start date
Hello,
Many of the benefits for a military retiree are discussed at the links included at
What Benefits Are You Eligible For As A Retiree? <—-LINK
Many veterans service organizations such as the VFW, DAV, American Legion, etc., have a veterans service officer who could guide your husband in many retiree matters.
Military retired pay and VA compensation stop upon death of the retiree.
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) allows a retiree to ensure, after death, a continuous lifetime annuity for their dependents. The annuity which is based on a percentage of retired pay is called SBP and is paid to an eligible beneficiary. It pays your eligible survivors an inflation-adjusted monthly income. See Survivor Benefit Program Overview <—-LINK
TRICARE Health Benefits Retired Service Members and Families | TRICARE <—-LINK
State Benefits: State Veterans Benefits<—LINK
Re: “I don't know what future benefits we should look into..” Not every person or family has the same needs/interests (e.g., not everyone would be interested in a VA home loan VA Home Loans Home <—LINK ). You can review the benefits listed in the first paragraph to determine which benefits you want to explore further.
Recommend that enrollment in DEERS and TRICARE be a priority. Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System | TRICARE <—LINK
Ron
Many of the benefits for a military retiree are discussed at the links included at
What Benefits Are You Eligible For As A Retiree? <—-LINK
Many veterans service organizations such as the VFW, DAV, American Legion, etc., have a veterans service officer who could guide your husband in many retiree matters.
Military retired pay and VA compensation stop upon death of the retiree.
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) allows a retiree to ensure, after death, a continuous lifetime annuity for their dependents. The annuity which is based on a percentage of retired pay is called SBP and is paid to an eligible beneficiary. It pays your eligible survivors an inflation-adjusted monthly income. See Survivor Benefit Program Overview <—-LINK
TRICARE Health Benefits Retired Service Members and Families | TRICARE <—-LINK
State Benefits: State Veterans Benefits<—LINK
Re: “I don't know what future benefits we should look into..” Not every person or family has the same needs/interests (e.g., not everyone would be interested in a VA home loan VA Home Loans Home <—LINK ). You can review the benefits listed in the first paragraph to determine which benefits you want to explore further.
Recommend that enrollment in DEERS and TRICARE be a priority. Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System | TRICARE <—LINK
Ron
I'm recently retired and rethinking the SBP vs life insurance argument. Here are a couple of links that offer guidance:
themilitarywallet.com
Office of the Actuary > Home (go to menu at the top-->sbp-->sbp financial analysis tools and download the spreadsheet and fill in your info)
It's a big decision that is very personal, see what will benefit you more for less.
Good luck! Ask lots of questions!!
Term Life Insurance Vs. Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) — A Side By Side Comparison
Trying to figure out whether to take SBP? Wondering if a term life insurance policy is a better use of your money? Learn more about this decision here.
themilitarywallet.com
Office of the Actuary > Home (go to menu at the top-->sbp-->sbp financial analysis tools and download the spreadsheet and fill in your info)
It's a big decision that is very personal, see what will benefit you more for less.
Good luck! Ask lots of questions!!