I founded this on Facebook today,
Status Update 6 May 2013
By CSM Allen B. Offord Jr.
Team, ***CHRONIC ADJUSTMENT DISORDER***
FYSA from the DAG-1 LTG Bromberg....based on earlier NDAA requirement DOD has directed that CHRONIC ADJUSTMENT DISORDER (CAD) is now a disability condition that can be compensable by the VA. We are working thru the impacts on IDES and while we will slow down some Soldiers think we can work thru this wo major impact over the next 6 months. We have identified 1000 Soldiers with CAD rating thus far - expect another 2000 to be impacted -- MTF and exsum provides more details below.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: CHRONIC ADJUSTMENT DISORDER (CAD) NOW CONSIDERED A POTENTIAL DISABILITY -- IMPACT ON SOLDIERS IN IDES. On 10 APR 13, the DoD changed DODI 1332.38 to include CAD as a condition constituting a disability. This policy effects any Soldier not yet separated from military service by 10 APR 13. There are approximately 22,000 Soldiers in the DES who are still on active duty. Of immediate concern, are approximately 5,200 Soldiers who have received separation orders and are transitioning out of the Army. The US Army Physical Disability Agency (USAPDA) reviewed the records of these Soldiers and found that just short of 1,000 Soldiers (19%) were rated by the VA for CAD. These Soldiers' cases are undergoing detailed scrutiny by the USAPDA to determine if they require additional review by a MEB, which must render a decision on medical retainability. To date, the detailed screening indicates that approximately 20% of cases will require further evaluation by the MEB. To allow time for that evaluation, the USAPDA will need to stop many of these Soldiers from medically separating or medically retiring. Since the new DoD policy was approved the USAPDA has already stopped 74 Soldiers from medically retiring/separating and this number will continue to grow every day with an expected peak at approximately 200. The just short of 10,000 other Soldiers' IDES cases have moved past the MEB and are either at a PEB or the DRA awaiting ratings.
The PEBs will review these cases where they are and hold them until final approval of the new CAD policy. If statistics hold true we can expect the PEBs to return approximately 2,000 (20% of the 10,000) cases to the MEBs for clarification of CAD or other Behavioral Health diagnoses. This will create unanticipated work on both the MEBs and PEBs, and will negatively impact the timeliness of all Soldiers moving through the DES. Soldiers who are in the MEB phase (<7,000) can be readily reviewed and appropriate standards for CAD applied these Soldiers' cases will not experience significant delays. Timeliness goals will be negatively impacted for the next 60-90 days. Resources required to execute the detailed reviews for CAD have begun to create a backlog at points along the IDES process that will take from 30-90 days to clear. ASA(M&RA) has presented the draft implementation policy to SecArmy for his review/approval. PREPARED BY: COL Carl M. Johnson, Deputy Director, USAPDA, 202-503-7003.
