New Member/Ebenefits Question

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cookma0

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
I began my MEB journey March 2013 for Graves Disease / Thyroid Eye Disease. For the most part my journey has been smooth. My PEBLO is as helpful as he is told to be. I received the same generic answers that some of you received regarding the process. My timeline isn't as thorough as others I've seen on this website. I didn't track it because really, it was moving along that smooth. As no surprise, my case came to a screeching halt once it reached the PEB at AFPC and the VA. Here are some important dates in my timeline.

C&P Exams ..............................July 15 - 17 (18 conditions total)
Providence received exams........Aug 21
**Ebennies status completion dates
Under Review............................ July 17
Gathering of Evidence................ Aug 21
Review of Evidence.................... Sept 4
AFPC determined me unfit...........Oct 25
Preparation for Decision...............Feb 25 2014 (nearly 6 mths in this phase)
Pending Decision Approval...........Current Status

I am fortunate enough to have a friend that works at the local VA office who looked my proposed ratings up for me. Here is what I've been awarded so far:

Graves Disease......60% Unfit Condition
Eyes......................20% Unfit Condition
Lft Shoulder...........10%
Back......................10%
Hip........................10%
GERD.....................10%
Depression.............10%
The rest were found 0% (I plan to appeal)

It looks as though I should have a pretty good outcome according to those numbers. I am hoping for permanent retirement. I have 13 years in the Air Force and I planned to retire until my thyroid obtained a mind of its own. Nevertheless, after nearly 1 year in the IDES system I am stressed and anxious. I stalk this page everyday in search for profound PEB insight. This leads me to my question. For those further along in the process than I am; after your proposed rating were completed, how long was it before you received your 199 from your PEBLO?
 
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cookma0 said:
I began my MEB journey March 2013 for Graves Disease / Thyroid Eye Disease. For the most part my journey has been smooth. My PEBLO is as helpful as he is told to be. I received the same generic answers that some of you received regarding the process. My timeline isn't as thorough as others I've seen on this website. I didn't track it because really, it was moving along that smooth. As no surprise, my case came to a screeching halt once it reached the PEB at AFPC and the VA. Here are some important dates in my timeline.

C&P Exams ..............................July 15 - 17 (18 conditions total)
Providence received exams........Aug 21
**Ebennies status completion dates
Under Review............................ July 17
Gathering of Evidence................ Aug 21
Review of Evidence.................... Sept 4
AFPC determined me unfit...........Oct 25
Preparation for Decision...............Feb 25 2014
Pending Decision Approval...........Current Status

I am fortunate enough to have a friend that works at the local VA office who looked my proposed ratings up for me. Here is what I've been awarded so far:

Graves Disease......60% Unfit Condition
Eyes......................20% Unfit Condition
Lft Shoulder...........10%
Back......................10%
Hip........................10%
GERD.....................10%
Depression.............10%
The rest were found 0% (I plan to appeal)

It looks as though I should have a pretty good outcome according to those numbers. I am hoping for permanent retirement. I have 13 years in the Air Force and I planned to retire until my thyroid obtained a mind of its own. Nevertheless, after nearly 1 year in the IDES system I am stressed and anxious. I stalk this page everyday in search for profound PEB insight. This leads me to my question. For those further along in the process than I am; after your proposed rating were completed, how long was it before you received your 199 from your PEBLO?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the PEB Forum! :)

From my experiences within the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process and if I recall accurately, the USAPDA PEB took appropriately 17 calendar days to generate my initial DA Form 199 albeit that was many many months ago!

As such, it seems that the current timeline for the USAPDA PEB to generate a DA Form 199 is averaging about 30 days or less which is not inclusive of external factors beyond their control (e.g., inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances) unfortunately.

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
Thanks for your response Warrior644. Presently I am on medical hold which ends 9 May. Hopefully my separation date will motivate them to move quickly. I would love to be given at least 30 days notice so I can take my permissive TDY and such. It's so frustrating being in limbo. I can't confidently secure a job or do the things necessary to get a head start.......ahhhhhh whoa is me :)
 
You're lucky. I did my VA appointments in September and my package was sent in October. According to Ebenefits, it says my package is Under Review. I am starting to get frustrated with this whole process. I understand I am not supposed to rely on Ebenefits for anything but, when I see everyone else's progress moving through Ebenefits and mine still says Under Review, I don't know what to do. When I call the VA, I either have to call back due to heavy call volume or their system is down. I am calling from overseas so I can't just leave a callback number either. I just wish I could get some answers or a status update through Ebenefits. My supervision keeps asking me about my medical board, even though I tell them that it's at the VA and there is nothing we can do to find out anything. My DEROS is May and without knowing anything, I don't know if the process can be pushed.
 
Hi xbigmitchafx,
I agree that it is super weird your that your Ebenefits hasn't progressed from the Under Review status. Mine progressed to Gathering of Evidence the same day I had my last VA appointment. It progressed to Review of Evidence the day the VA received my signed NARSUM with the C&P exams. When you open your claim on Ebenefits, does it reflect there were any documents received? I have a hyperlink at the bottom of my Ebenefits page saying they received my exams from Martinez, which is where my exams were done.
If there aren't any documents attached to your claim by now I would certainly be concerned. I know people say don't rely on Ebenefits for up to date/accurate information. I found that in my case it was pretty accurate except that it has said "evidence requested is past due" the entire time.
Another area you can check is MyPers. In MyPers, click the link on the bottom left side of the page titled "Incidents and Messages". You should have an original message reflecting the date your case was sent to AFPC. Additionally, it should show an update to the message reflecting the date AFPC sent your unfit documents to the VA.
If you check those things and they are complete, there's a good chance your case is still chugging long. If those things are not complete I would stay on my PEBLO to ensure you haven't been lost in the sauce.
On the other hand, it wouldn't surprise me if VA is way behind due to the furloughs and bad weather. That's been VA's go to answer for months now. Best of luck to you. It has to be frustrating being stationed overseas going through this.
 
cookma0 said:
Thanks for your response Warrior644. Presently I am on medical hold which ends 9 May. Hopefully my separation date will motivate them to move quickly. I would love to be given at least 30 days notice so I can take my permissive TDY and such. It's so frustrating being in limbo. I can't confidently secure a job or do the things necessary to get a head start.......ahhhhhh whoa is me
Click to expand...

Indeed, you are welcome! :)

Nonetheless, please remain positively proactive through the entire DoD IDES process; favorable dividends could potentially result for sure!

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
cookma0 said:
For those further along in the process than I am; after your proposed rating were completed, how long was it before you received your 199 from your PEBLO?
Click to expand...

Just a quick point of clarification- the DA 199 is an Army specific form. On the AF side, your are looking for a AF Form 356.
 
Thanks cookma0. I don't know what's going on. I checked Ebenefits, as well as Mypers and it I have no documents whatsoever in the system. I hope they didn't get lost in the system. I have stayed positive throughout the time so far and I am going to have to talk to my PEBLO tomorrow to get some answers. It was like pulling a tooth to get the dates they were sent to AFPC and the VA so I am sure this will be even more difficult to get out of him. If I have a problem though, I will go to my supervision to let them know what is going on or lack thereof.
 
I emailed my PEBLO and this is what he told me. Don't really understand too much but, hopefully I will at least see some kind of progress soon.

Your stuff was forwarded to the VA on 14 Nov 13. I actually emailed AFMOA this morning about your case and this is what I received back:

" AFMOA understands the frustration at the MTF level and have taken this feedback to AFMSA and SAF/MR; who are already working this issue with DoD/VA

leadership. This issue was an agenda item at last week's DoD DES Improvement Working Group
(DIWG) meeting held on 31 Jan 20-14. The outcome from this meeting was for Providence DRAS(AF processor) to discontinue adjudicating additional cases from the Seattle DRAS branch. Additionally, to expedite the reduction of the backlog the VA has approved overtime for its Providence DRAS case managers. With that said, it will take some time for the Providence DRAS to get through the backlog that has been created. DoD/VA leadership has assured AFMOA that this issue is a priority and will continue to monitor the Providence DRAS progress."

Providence is actively working cases to get caught up. We have asked for a timeline regarding getting the backlog cleared, but not have received one at

this time.
 
xbigmitchafx said:
I emailed my PEBLO and this is what he told me. Don't really understand too much but, hopefully I will at least see some kind of progress soon.

Your stuff was forwarded to the VA on 14 Nov 13. I actually emailed AFMOA this morning about your case and this is what I received back:

" AFMOA understands the frustration at the MTF level and have taken this feedback to AFMSA and SAF/MR; who are already working this issue with DoD/VA

leadership. This issue was an agenda item at last week's DoD DES Improvement Working Group
(DIWG) meeting held on 31 Jan 20-14. The outcome from this meeting was for Providence DRAS(AF processor) to discontinue adjudicating additional cases from the Seattle DRAS branch. Additionally, to expedite the reduction of the backlog the VA has approved overtime for its Providence DRAS case managers. With that said, it will take some time for the Providence DRAS to get through the backlog that has been created. DoD/VA leadership has assured AFMOA that this issue is a priority and will continue to monitor the Providence DRAS progress."

Providence is actively working cases to get caught up. We have asked for a timeline regarding getting the backlog cleared, but not have received one at

this time.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's going to be good for some but not others. When those cases from Seattle were transferred I had read on here that they priority, which in turn pushed those of us that had our cases sent to Providence back a bit. Great to read about the overtime, I would of rather it said mandatory overtime until all vets are within the IDES timeline, but whatever.
 
Weapons loader said:
Wow, that's going to be good for some but not others. When those cases from Seattle were transferred I had read on here that they priority, which in turn pushed those of us that had our cases sent to Providence back a bit. Great to read about the overtime, I would of rather it said mandatory overtime until all vets are within the IDES timeline, but whatever.
Click to expand...

Forced overtime would not be a happy environment for those who have to alter schedules to take care of their family/kids, which then might have a negative impact on cases from pissed off employees reviewing your case.
Patience is the key, even though we all have little patience left or none at all.
 
siestasundance said:
Forced overtime would not be a happy environment for those who have to alter schedules to take care of their family/kids, which then might have a negative impact on cases from pissed off employees reviewing your case.
Patience is the key, even though we all have little patience left or none at all.
Click to expand...
You're right, the timelines should of never been put out there in the first place. The PEBLO gives you a hand out and says "This is how the process should go time wise" but I would venture to say that less then 20% are done in the timeframe.
 
xbigmitchafx said:
I emailed my PEBLO and this is what he told me. Don't really understand too much but, hopefully I will at least see some kind of progress soon.

Your stuff was forwarded to the VA on 14 Nov 13. I actually emailed AFMOA this morning about your case and this is what I received back:

" AFMOA understands the frustration at the MTF level and have taken this feedback to AFMSA and SAF/MR; who are already working this issue with DoD/VA

leadership. This issue was an agenda item at last week's DoD DES Improvement Working Group
(DIWG) meeting held on 31 Jan 20-14. The outcome from this meeting was for Providence DRAS(AF processor) to discontinue adjudicating additional cases from the Seattle DRAS branch. Additionally, to expedite the reduction of the backlog the VA has approved overtime for its Providence DRAS case managers. With that said, it will take some time for the Providence DRAS to get through the backlog that has been created. DoD/VA leadership has assured AFMOA that this issue is a priority and will continue to monitor the Providence DRAS progress."

Providence is actively working cases to get caught up. We have asked for a timeline regarding getting the backlog cleared, but not have received one at

this time.
Click to expand...

Hmm, it seems like a positive initiative in order to rectify the current backlog of DoD IDES case files at this point in time!

Indeed, only in time will all whom hold interest with the current backlog of DoD IDES case files shall witness triumph or failure!

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
eBenefits does not work for everyone. I have been in the IDES for four years and am currently in TRANSPROC.

eBenefits never updated once for me or changed in the entire four years.
 
Holy F! Four years? My ebenees sucks too. No communication abt any status or changes. Does it get any easier?
 
CMKRICK said:
Holy F! Four years? My ebenees sucks too. No communication abt any status or changes. Does it get any easier?
Click to expand...

Indeed, yes; only when the entire DoD IDES process is completed unfortunately! ;)

Albeit, please remain positively proactive while in the DoD IDES process since it seems that the "Nay-Sayers" are only concerned with "IDES timeline efficiency at whatever cost...meaning deny, lowball, under-rate, lack of job performance then at FPEB hearing deny some more" to keep the Pentagon officials off their backs by trying to show a DoD IDES process timeline as close to published DoD standards as possible in my opinion! :oops:

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!
 
wow I am surprised you are getting MEB for Graves disease. I have Graves disease as well with Bilateral Dye eye syndrome caused from Graves Disease. I was diagnosed in 2006 and had my thyroid radioactive ablated. Now I have to take a very high dose of synthroid every day for the rest of my life but it is regulated now. I have been in 11 1/2 years and I sew on TSgt April 1st. I got MEB for my back failed back surgery and Herniated discs in my L3-L4-L5S1 with 18 other claimed conditions including my thyroid. My status on Ebenefits just changed today to Preparation for decision so hopefully ill find out my results soon. My package has been there since 16 Nov 13. I am hoping to get Medical retirement as well. I wish you the best of luck Cook and hopefully they have your thyroid under control cuz when its not it is a complete nightmare.
 
Congratulations on your TSgt selection dallasfan!!!! As you can probably guess my Graves and Thyroid Eye disease was not nearly as cut and dry as yours. After 3 years, 2 radioactive ablations and 2 eye surgeries my thyroid or eyes are still not under control. It's such a long story so I will not bore you. Needless to say it has been a nightmare.
But good luck with your MEB. I stayed in the Prep for Decision phase for 6 months unfortunately. I've been almost 1 month in pending decision approval. I'm just ready for this whole process to be done. Hopefully yours will be much faster than mine.
 
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