I recently sent out to try and upgrade my %50 Va rating and got a letter telling me of The PDBR. I have done a little research and I would love the medical retirement so that my children are covered. My story is I rolled a Jeep on leave and crushed L1 & L2 vertebra. I was given %10 by the Airforce and %50 by the Va back in 2003. Curious if I am retired how is the pay? And what is the chance that I could be retired? any info would help. thank you
Never heard of this till....
- Thread starter Jimmy
- Start date
Ok lets start from the top.
1. You need to start collecting all your paperwork together...anything medical: LOD's, Limited Duty Slips, Profiles..etc,etc,etc.
2. You need to follow all the intructions that the letter requests.
3. Study your injuries rating codes that they released you for and any conditions that you may have had at that time.
4. Study the "treads" in this forum and become familiar with injuries and conditons that other airmen had/have that are silmilar injuries and conditions you had at the time.
5. Study VASRD ratings... also in the forum treads and start to understand the process and the ratings that apply to your injuries and conditions then.
Retired Pay in always good, but never enough for what you have done for the company. Your DOD rating would have to reach 30% to drawn a retirement check. So if they consider additional medical issues that wern't considered at the time or add to your %'s on rated conditions... it's possible.... But way to soon to start thinking how your going to spend it.
The chance that you increase your rating and reach a 30% retired status could well depend on how much effort and time you put into achieving the desired result. This Forum and the people here can and will assist you..... but you must do the leg work, research your medical records and be prepared to answer their questions as they come up concerning your possible case. No two cases are the same.
Good Luck, Bravehart
OK so i have sealed the envelope and re-opened it about 3 times trying ti figure if i have worded it correctly!! this process is nerve wrecking.After reading about the PDBR on here I want to make it as quick and painless as possible. So as we speak I am filling out request for all my VA medical records and Military records so that i can send them along with my application.When i went down to the VA today and got my Va code (5295). I also looked at my DD214 and see the Seration authority (AFI 36-3212), Seperation Code (JFL). I dont know if any of this is going to help, im just posting along the way so that others can see whats going on for their own case. Medical retirement here i come.......fingers crossed
simply stated you pay is the percent of your disability (from 30% to 75%, if you are on the PDRL) multiplied by your high 3 years of pay. So, if you got out as an E4 and your rating was 30% you would basically getting $600/ month (30% of E4 pay).
OK Jimmy lets look at what we do know:
1. I rolled a Jeep on leave and crushed L1 & L2 vertebra
2. I was given 10% by the Airforce and 50% by the VA; 2003
3. I recently sent out to try and upgrade my 50% VA rating
4. Got a letter telling me of The PDBR. After reading about the PDBR on here I want to make it as quick and painless as possible.
5. I am filling out request for all my VA medical records and Military records so that i can send them along with my application.
6. My Va code (5295)
7. DD214 sepration authority (AFI 36-3212)
8. Seperation Code (JFL)
Now The Questions:
What issues are you presenting to the PDBR?
What can happen in situations like this is the PEB focuses on the primary disability and says that is unfitting and not the other conditions. Thats because there is no evidence that the conditions prevented you from performing your duties. Of COURSE not! You couldn't perform you duties (more than likely) since the date of the accident! How would I address it? I would go to the AF regulation that prescribes the qualifications for your military occupational specialty and show how you could not perform those duties with the physical profiles you were given for the disputed disabilities. Remember: your argument is that the conditions are unfitting to perform your duties, not that they exist or are medically disqualifying.
OK Jimmy lets look at what we do know:
1. I rolled a Jeep on leave and crushed L1 & L2 vertebra
2. I was given 10% by the Airforce and 50% by the VA; 2003
3. I recently sent out to try and upgrade my 50% VA rating
4. Got a letter telling me of The PDBR. After reading about the PDBR on here I want to make it as quick and painless as possible.
5. I am filling out request for all my VA medical records and Military records so that i can send them along with my application.
6. My Va code (5295)
7. DD214 sepration authority (AFI 36-3212)
8. Seperation Code (JFL)
Now The Questions:
What issues are you presenting to the PDBR?
The PEB focuses on the primary disability and says that is unfitting and not the other conditions.
I would go to the AF regulation that prescribes the qualifications for your military occupational specialty and show how you could not perform those duties with the physical profiles you were given for the disputed disabilities.
Remember: your argument is that the conditions are unfitting to perform your duties, not that they exist or are medically disqualifying.
Thanks ED, Great Advice........
What issues are you presenting to the PDBR?
AS of right now I guess my answer to this question is to get my Military medical records and show my profiles. If i remember correctly it states to standing, sitting for long periods of time, no climbing ladders and i believe no heavy lifting. So would these be the only things I would submit with my application or would i send the whole thing and just highlight these profiles? Truly thanks again my fellow vets! Also I dont have any othere issues. It is and always has been my back.
AS of right now I guess my answer to this question is to get my Military medical records and show my profiles. If i remember correctly it states to standing, sitting for long periods of time, no climbing ladders and i believe no heavy lifting. So would these be the only things I would submit with my application or would i send the whole thing and just highlight these profiles? Truly thanks again my fellow vets! Also I dont have any othere issues. It is and always has been my back.
My mistake. I thought you had multiple disabilities and only rated by the AF for one. So its a rating issue. The military used to supplement the VASRD which was later determined to be improper. So what you have to show is that your condition AT THE TIME OF SEPARATION warranted a higher rating IAW the VASRD. Look in the VASRD for the 30, 50, and 70 percent rating criteria and show by your medical records that you met that criteria.
A VA rating of 30% or more, effective the date of separation, for the same condition the PEB found unfitting, should be sufficient. Given a 50% rating since discharge in 2003 should also be grounds for a PDRL recommendation from the PDBR.
Mike
Mike
MAPARKER, i hope your right!! ok so i sent out last week for my VA medical records and I got them today in the mail. The records came on a CD. I been looking through and i see a sumary about my injury, but nothing that states my disability rating. do i need to go back and ask for that specifically or do i just send this disc? please help
May work with the PDBR but not necessarily with the BCMR. The VA must give the benefit of doubt to the veteran. So statements such as "It is as likely as not" must be accepted by the VA. The military has no such requirement.
Update to my review. I received a letter stating that they received my application. My application was dated on 12 June 2012 and they received my paper work 25 June 2012. I was assigned Docket # PD-2012-00864. And it states it is going to take about 15 months for the whole review. Hope this help any one.
So my question then is, I was separated @ 10% for what they basically called chronic knee pain and was not given a a rating at all on my PTSD even though the PEB gave my diagnosis at the 30% level the MEB still gave me a 0%. I got my award from the VA about 3 months after separation and they rated me a 0% for the knee and 50% for the PTSD based on exam with a civilian VA contracted Dr. I am getting ready to apply to the PDBR and want to know what I can reasonably expect them to say about my PTSD since the MEB gave me nothing and the VA gave me 50%. Mr. Parker i see you stated a VA rating of 30% or more should be sufficient in recommendation for a PDRL by the PDBR but with my VA 50% rating does that mean I have a good chance of getting PDRL rating of 50% for PTSD to go with my 10% for my knee to combine for 60%? If so and that is what I get what would that entitle me to besides the usual, retirement,id card tricare and all that?
Ok so I got my decision two days ago. They are going to re characterize my discharge from seperation with severance pay to permanent disability retirement 30%. Currently and for the last 9 years I have been 50% from the VA. I did 2 1/2 years in the Air Force and messed up my back. The formula to figure out pay in nonsense and I have a funny feeling that I have shot myself in the foot. I feel that my check is going to a lot less then what I'm getting now. Does this sounds right. Currently I'm receiving $863 a month and use that plus work to survive. Can anyone help with this formula? I'm going to be calling the number tomorrow about SBP and see how this will now work. Any info would help. Best wishes to all.
Congrats on the military disability retirement. While you (and your family) will receive retirement benefits such as TRICARE, you may or may not receive additional money. That will depend on the amount of VA compensation you receive. You should get 30% of your retirement base from DoD. If your VA amount is greater than the DoD amount, the VA will completely offset the DoD disability retirement amount. The DoD rating will not affect your 50% VA rating and the $863 a month you are getting from the VA.
It makes sense that perhaps your DoD retirement percentage should be 50% given a VA 50% rating since your date of separation in 2003. However, if 50% of your retirement base is still less than your VA amount, it would not make a difference in the DoD rates you at 30% or 50%.
Mike
It makes sense that perhaps your DoD retirement percentage should be 50% given a VA 50% rating since your date of separation in 2003. However, if 50% of your retirement base is still less than your VA amount, it would not make a difference in the DoD rates you at 30% or 50%.
Mike
Thanks for your replies but I'm still a bit confused. I'm non combat related, so doesn't that mean I only receive one or the other ( retirement or va comp. ) I'm not worrie about additional money just don't want my my amount to be affected now, like I stated I live off of that va comp. well I'm about to call SBP so again any info would help.
If you are Chapter 61 retired (med retirement), your injuries are not combat related and you have not/did not reach 20 years of service, you will only receive either the VA comp or the DoD pension, whichever is higher. The only way your VA comp would decrease is if your VA ratings are lowered.