Today I received the DoD (DoW now?) proposed rating of 50% for PTSD/General Anxiety and placement on the TDRL. Though they messed up on my DAF Form 356 stating my condition is not combat related but then they state it was incurred in a combat zone in performance of combat related operations... I'm in contact with ODC and the PEBLO to fix that. My question is, what does the decision mean for me?
O3-E, over 20 good years in the Guard/Reserve with approx 3200 points. What Tricare option will I get?
VA rating for this condition at 70% (was overall 90%) until last week when I was informed of 100% P&T decision. I doubt the IPEB had that recent VA rating decision when they issued their decision. Will the P&T VA rating affect the TDRL aspect of things and possibly give me PDRL? Thank you for any assistance.
Getting anything above 30% means ch 61 medical retirement, so you will be rated at 50% on TDRL (Temporary Disability Retirement List) meaning you will need to get re-evaluated at some point in the future. After that re-evaluation for PTSD and they find you are stable, they will either keep you 50% or decrease/increase and move you to PDRL (Permanent Disability Retirement List). However if they deemed you to be very improved and drop your 50% down to below 30%, you will not be ch 61 medical retired but medically separated.
During this TDRL, you are considered retired and will get Tricare. You have the option of choosing between Prime or Select.
Select may be a bit more expensive. It is designed for you having the ability to mostly choose where you want your be treated in network outside of a military treatment facility and generally without a referral and has deductibles like Tricare Reserve Select..
Individual: $150
Family: $300
Prime comes with an annual enrollment fee, have a PCM assigned and need like referrals and pre-approval for things like MRI etc. This is the annual enrollment fee per Tricare:
TRICARE Prime enrollment fee for medically retired sponsors, their family members, and survivors in Group A
Your enrollment fee freezes at the rate when you were classified in DEERS as medically retired or as a survivor and enrolled in TRICARE Prime. It stays frozen as long as there is no break in your TRICARE Prime enrollment.
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| Starting Jan. 1, 2026 | Individual: $381.96
Family: $765 |
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Date of Classification in DEERS
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Annual Enrollment Fee
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"O3-E, over 20 good years in the Guard/Reserve with approx 3200 points."
Without real numbers, cant really answer this with exact accuracy but i will give you a ballpark so you know the mathematics behind it. Per your post you have over 20 years, i will use 21 total years as basic pay calculations. Assuming you were O3E for the past 3 years and assuming you retire in by end of December.
2025 pay for O3E starting in March 2004 with over 20 years. hitting 21 years this march.
$9,257 x 12 = 111,084
2024 O3E with 3 months at 19 yrs, and 9mos at 20 years but charts show over 18 yrs, capped at pay
$8,859.00 x 12 = 106,308
2023 O3E with over 18 yrs
$8,421.14 x 12 = 101,053.68
Add them all up
111,084 + 106,308 + 101,053.68 = 318,445.68 / 36 = $8,845.71 theoretical High 3.
High 3 - 8845.71
DoD ch 61 50% = 4,422.86 - i find that DFAS will round this down to exact dollars so $4422
VA 100% - no info given, so i will assume veteran + spouse rate for 2026 = 4,158.17
Since DoD is higher, you will get a residual payment from DoD = 4422 - 4158.17 = $263.83 residual
Now longevity you said 3200 pts.
3200 / 360 x 2..5 = 22.22% multiplier
High 3 $8845.71 x 22.22% = 1,965.52 earned pension aka longevity and your CAP for CRSC. I find that DFAS once again likes to round down this number to exact dollar amount. so 1965
Being ch 61 medical retiree with a good 20 yr letter. you would receive right now 2 paychecks:
DoD ch 61 residual = 263.83
VA waiver pay = 4158.17
At 60 years old you can apply and collect CMRP (concurrent military retired pay formally CDRP) which is locked into your High 3 now, but gets yearly cola for sake of this calculation i keep it the same high 3. so you would get 2 paychecks:
DoD regular retirement = $1965 x all the cola
VA waiver pay = whatever the rate is in the year you are 60.
Now add in CRSC.
Longevity 1965
DoD Ch 61 Residual = 263.83
Max CRSC pay = 1965 - 263.83 = $1,701.17
You would need a CRSC rate of 70% to max out your pay and would not need to apply for CMRP at age 60.
CRSC tables are the same as VA pay tables but is limited by your longevity aka 1965 aka the 1701.17 from max pay due to the ch 61 residual.
CRSC 70% for vet + spouse = 1,961.45 which is higher than 1701.17 and 4 dollars less than 1965. This will help incase if the VA waiver payment somehow becomes higher than your DoD Ch61 which reduces the DoD residual to 0. You would get up to the max pay of CRSC 70%.
So lets say you use your PTSD which you said is rated at 70% for CRSC. perfect. you basically maxed out your earned compensation. You would then get 3 paychecks a month.
DoD 61 residual = 263.83 - sounds like this would be tax free from your statement.
VA Pay = 4158.17 tax free
CRSC pay = 1,701.17 tax free
total = 6,123.17
Edit: added CRSC at 50% calculation
CRSC 50% rate - vet + spouse = 1,241.90 less than 1701.17 so you losing out on 459.27
CRSC pays out the lesser of the two from 1. Longevity pay or 2. CRSC pay table via VA pay table. In this case the CRSC 50% is lower than your longevity 1701.17
DoD 61 residual = 263.83 - sounds like this would be tax free from your statement.
VA Pay = 4158.17 tax free
CRSC Pay = 1241.90 tax free
total = 5,663.9
In this scenario, you could at age 60 apply for CMRP and get the full 1965 but it would be taxed, so depending on your earned income what your tax rate would be. You can only be in one program either CRSC or CMRP.
By Law you cannot earn more than VA compensation + Earned longevity pension = 4158.17 + 1965 = 6,123.17
All these numbers can change depending on when you actually get retired which effects your High 3, and DoD %, VA % to include dependents, possible CRSC %. The payouts will either be 1, 2 or 3 checks but the combo of all them combine will never be more than the VA compensation + Longevity pension amount.
If the IPEB doesnt have the new VA rating for PTSD, request a VARR (VA rating reconsideration) before you sign the DA199. The VA P&T might make the PEB determine the PTSD is stable and put you on the PDRL, but I'm not an expert on that portion of PEB regarding PTSD as primary disqualifier. For now i would expect that you would be put on TDRL with re-eval at future date. If you get put on PDRL, great.
