Medically retire or separate?

A

alexinux

New Member
Registered Member
Hey there,

I've reached my 15year mark as a reservist but I'm going throught a med board because of type 1 diabetes. I already got 100% VA but nobody has told me what are the pros and cons of getting out separated or medically retired. Some say that VA Tricare is better and that I shouldn't get retired Tricare. Also some say that I still get my pension at 60 but at a reduced rate while other that if I medically retire I get it earlier. Is anyone out there that has a similar issue or has gone through this? I got my FPEB meeting soon to decide to stay or get out..... I just want to know if med retirement or separation have any clear differences to it.
 
alexinux said:
Hey there,

I've reached my 15year mark as a reservist but I'm going throught a med board because of type 1 diabetes. I already got 100% VA but nobody has told me what are the pros and cons of getting out separated or medically retired. Some say that VA Tricare is better and that I shouldn't get retired Tricare. Also some say that I still get my pension at 60 but at a reduced rate while other that if I medically retire I get it earlier. Is anyone out there that has a similar issue or has gone through this? I got my FPEB meeting soon to decide to stay or get out..... I just want to know if med retirement or separation have any clear differences to it.
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Are you in regular IDES or non duty related IDES? That makes a big difference in the answer to your questions.
 
So the diabetes happened after my deployment in 2012 (a month after I got back) and I kept serving because it didnt affect me. I got into the waivers whenever I applied for VA back in 2018 and the military got wind of it. I was put into the MEB when I transferred to the Reserves and re-applied for a waiver because its now Type 1 diabetes. I never got an LOD or anything because I could not diagnose it myself but the VA tied it to the deployment. The med people at my unit say that the FPEB case can be returned so the can do a "duty related" LOD and get me into the IDES or DES if I cant get to stay.
 
Provis said:
Are you in regular IDES or non duty related IDES? That makes a big difference in the answer to your questions.
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Currently they say is non duty related because there's no LOD for it but my Endo says that after viewing my notes and record that it is. The military ia not tying it solely because there is not an LOD for it.
 
alexinux said:
Currently they say is non duty related because there's no LOD for it but my Endo says that after viewing my notes and record that it is. The military ia not tying it solely because there is not an LOD for it.
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So if non duty related IDES determination then the only options for you are being found fit or unfit and separated with no benefits or severance. So basically they would kick you out. Luckily if you are kicked out with 15 good years or more you will be put in gray area retirement and a 15 year letter will be created for you. So once kicked out you are just getting VA compensation and VA healthcare until age 60. Shortly before that time you can apply for your Reserve retirement and then you get Tricare. Chances are you won't get any additional income because you need a 20 year letter to be able to get your pension and VA compensation. With a 15 year letter any VA compensation would offset your earned reserve retirement and for most the VA compensation is greater leaving you with no additional pay.

I would apply for COAR. If approved they would allow you to continue on until you hit 20 good years and then put you in reserve status awaiting pay. You apply for COAR after being found unfit so you should be able to do that now.

There is very little chance you will be able to go from a non duty related IDES to regular IDES so I wouldn't count on that happening. If you were able to get in regular IDES severance is still off the table because if you accepted severance you give up your reserve pension and tricare. If you got 30% DOD or higher in regular IDES then you would medically retire but still be subject to the VA offset due to not hitting 20 years. So the 2 main benefits of that is Tricare and the ability to apply for CRSC which could claw back some of the VA offset if approved for a condition that qualifies. The amount of CRSC can't exceed the amount of your earned reserve pension so if you don't have a lot of points the cap would be low. Also, not everyone has conditions that qualify for CRSC so that may not help you even if you were to be able to medically retire.
 
thank you for all the information. So I don't expect much of the FPEB at this point, but my leadership will be present as they want to keep me at the unit. With Type 1 Diabetes, they are just stuck at the regulation without taking into account the records we have provided to show I can stay. If the decision is to stay, then cool, but if the decision was to get out, I wanted to see everything that would not be and be available to me. I asked an FSS MSgt that work at FPEBs and the answer regarding the 15yrs was that it didn't matter. When I pressed that I had heard about it she stated that separation would be the thing and that the 15yrs law (which i don't remember right now) was not applicable. If the 15yr thing indeed applies, then I would be satisfied to go out, even if not medically retired (although i know for sure the diabetes was caused by the AF). Is the gray area is what they call "Early Retirement"?
 
alexinux said:
thank you for all the information. So I don't expect much of the FPEB at this point, but my leadership will be present as they want to keep me at the unit. With Type 1 Diabetes, they are just stuck at the regulation without taking into account the records we have provided to show I can stay. If the decision is to stay, then cool, but if the decision was to get out, I wanted to see everything that would not be and be available to me. I asked an FSS MSgt that work at FPEBs and the answer regarding the 15yrs was that it didn't matter. When I pressed that I had heard about it she stated that separation would be the thing and that the 15yrs law (which i don't remember right now) was not applicable. If the 15yr thing indeed applies, then I would be satisfied to go out, even if not medically retired (although i know for sure the diabetes was caused by the AF). Is the gray area is what they call "Early Retirement"?
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If you have 15 good years you will most certainly get your earned retirement at eligible age. If you get kicked out because the condition was non duty related or duty related but DOD% is less than 30% with 15 or more good years you will retire at age 60 or slightly less due to qualified deployments. Its called a 15 year letter and its created by HRC if kicked out medically with less than 20 good years but with at least 15 good years.

You want to medically retire since you get tricare right away. If you can stay in and drill for 5 more years to reach 20 good years via being found fit or found unfit but approved for COAR that would be best scenario to guarantee you max out compensation. If medically retired right away you would need to be approved for CRSC after being medically retired to make you whole financially.

ADDED TO AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT. Don't trust anyone on this stuff. Most people have no clue on the rules and regulations. Look it up yourself and you will know more than anyone in your unit. Check out HRC. Here is a link that HRC has on gray area retirement and talks a bit about a 15 year letter. Its very simple though. Kicked out medically and 15 good years but less than 20 good years you are issued a 15 year letter.

 
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