Question from someone with fibro who's really just starting all this-- with 100% VA retirement, are you considered medically retired and getting monthly payments? This whole thing is confusing, and it doesn't help that my PEBLO is borderline MIA.
Fibromyalgia Timeline - AD Air Force
- Thread starter sxkuraa
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- air force fibromyalga timeline
Your VA rating has no bearing on your AF medical discharge/retirement. Are you in the guard/reserves or have you not got your AF rating?
Hello!
While going through the MEB Process you will receive two ratings. One is a DoD rating and the other a VA rating. The DoD rating consist of your referred condition, basically the reason you are being med boarded. The VA rating is everything you are claiming secondary or that was caused while serving.
The military determines your type of discharge, separated or retired, based on your DoD rating. If your DoD rating is below 30% you will be medically separated, and if over 30% medically retired.
You have to choose which monthly payment you want, your DoD or the VA. Most choose VA since they generally have a higher percentage due to claiming more on that side.
For my story, I was referred to the MEB for fibro which resulted in a 20% DoD rating. I was medically separated with a huge severance check and still get almost all the same benefits as a retiree due to being 100% on the VA side. The main difference is that I don't get tricare. I still however get the same monthly VA compensation based on 100%.
Goodluck, if you have any more questions I will try my best to help.
Hi! I got my ratings today similar to yours. 20% DOD and 100% P&T VA. I’m in the same boat you were. I don’t have any dependents and as much as I would like tricare I start school in the fall and am already stressed out about getting out at a decent time. I’m not sure if it would be worth it to fight for 30% but it seems everyone thinks the VA is the worst so I was looking to see your opinion and if you would do anything differently? Thank you!
If you genuinely believe your rating is too low then i would appeal. There are 2 ways to get the % up. One is by requesting FPEB and arguing that another condition should be unfit. The 2nd option is that you believe your symptoms are more severe and should warrant a higher rating. That would be by requesting a VARR. Also, you can do both if you think another condition should be added and 1 or more unfitting conditions are rated too low.
Tricare for life is worth the fight if you aren't getting a fair outcome. If you think the outcome is fair and accurate then I would probably sign and be happy for a severance check and VA compensation + Healthcare. The other thing about Tricare is that you get it for life for you and your family. CHAMVA requires you to be 100% so if you lose that status you lose healthcare for your current or future wife/kids. Also, it gives you more options by having Tricare. My wife goes though the VA for everything but sometimes the prescriptions aren't approved by the VA. She has been able to have her community care VA doctors run a prescription though Tricare and be approved when the VA denies it. We retired young and would not have been able to do it without tricare. In the private market without tricare for equivalent coverage I would be paying 3k a month to cover my family.