Super Amazing Funtime AF Med Board!

Drew Smith

Drew Smith

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
Alright so I'm part of this awesome MEB process! In August/September of 2009 I hurt my back, 2 bulging discs, some nerve damage, and constant every day of my life pain. Well I hit the doctor and we played our game and I was to be submitted to the board.

My doctor was supposed to "submit the recommendation" to the board in April of 2011. Apparently my VA rep was on vacation for a month, and my PEBLO was going TDY right after that. (This I found out from friends who work medical) I guess the VA has 10 days to get in touch with you after your recommendation is submitted, so... the rumor around the base is that the PEBLO sat on 4 MEB's because the VA rep was on leave, and then went TDY. My doctor submitted in April, but the official date was the middle of June. Sweet.

So then I got some appointments for the VA spread out over a month and a half. I was pretty excited. Got all those done, and heard nothing. Absolutely nothing until January of this year. I was coded as MEB (no deployments, TDY's, etc) but no other information.

I was told by my PEBLO that I was being submitted to the local board. By February that was kosher and I was being submitted to AFPC. Since then, I've been sitting around. No information from VA phone numbers, PEBLO knows nothing, and here I sit.
 
Contact your Patient Advocacy, Ombudsman, Case Manager and your VA MSC... they will get the ball rolling in the right way...
 
I have to admit that no one, has told me who any of these people are. I've never made contact with any of them, and not my doctor, nor my PEBLO have even told me about these people. I have a Wounded Warrior rep that calls me from time to time. She's pretty cool, she gets freaked out angry and calls around and gets nothing... Who are these people and how would I know which one has my case?


Edit: My wife found this forum and has been lurking for about a month. Now that I've finally signed up and logged in... I have a feeling that this forum will serve as a lifeline to those of us going insane through this process.
 
I suggest you go knock down your PEBLOs door (not in the littiral sense, verbally LOL). I am unsure if you have a case manager in the AF, but being link with Army I think you would, they are the civilian nurse liason for the PEBLO and the VA. The VA MSC is the VA rep that you talked to about your secondary claims (the one that was on leave.) The Ombudsman and the Patient Advocacy are the ones that are the go between for the medical field and the MEB/PEB. They are the ones that will put the fire to your PEBLOs feet.
 
I just got off the phone with the PEBLO and his response is "AFPC has it, when I get something back, I'll e-mail you". There is a "case manager" (ie ONE) that I know of but she's never done anything for me. Time to make a few phone calls. Oh Wounded Warrior calling on phone....
 
Good, tell the rep calling you that your PEBLO is refusing to give you the phone numbers you want!
 
On a side note if AFPC has your package, you could probally call the VA and get your proposed ratings faxed to you.
 
Ok wounded warrior rep is ready to yell. Calling VA now, this is the longest voice menu I've ever heard...
 
I feel for you Bud. Patient Advocacy, and Ombudsman is basically puppets for the Military. Case Manager are sometimes ok to talk to. VA MSC, this one is new to me. I talked to a Peblo because he asked me what I need. I told him that I was told to come here to speak to the VAMSC and he refused to let me see them. I hope you get better service.
 
Makes me proud to be in the Army... If there is one Airman that is having this issue, there are 100-200 Soldier that got the same treatment.

We need them to speak up.
 
eagleone said:
Makes me proud to be in the Army... If there is one Airman that is having this issue, there are 100-200 Soldier that got the same treatment.

We need them to speak up.
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Hey Boss, I was Army, that is why I made my comment.
 
Jayson69 said:
Hey Boss, I was Army, that is why I made my comment.
Click to expand...

LOL. I am sooooo confused!!! Sounded more Army'ish. Confused by the subject line.

Good luck!
 
Jayson69 said:
I feel for you Bud. Patient Advocacy, and Ombudsman is basically puppets for the Military. Case Manager are sometimes ok to talk to. VA MSC, this one is new to me. I talked to a Peblo because he asked me what I need. I told him that I was told to come here to speak to the VAMSC and he refused to let me see them. I hope you get better service.
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That is completely illegal, they have to let your talk to your MSC! :mad:
 
I am not sweating it. I have been on TDRL since Dec 2008. My VA rating was appealed and I won. I recieved 100% P/T and I am on SSDI.
They also have a clue that I have an Attorney as well and ready to Appeal if they don't do the right thing. I am suppose to do my appointment in
the middle of September. It was suppose to been in June, then they said it would be August. Now it is end of September. 100 % P/T is for my COPD
which is unfitting, wait to see how stupid my Peblo is going to be.
 
Ok so update time! VA called about a month ago, said they've been calling me (no calls...) and they need another evaluation. That would be number 4, just for my back... Then during the same phone call, she said "Oh nevermind, there's just a minor error here, you don't need another eval, haha and we've been trying to get ahold of you, waiting for 2 months!" I was not happy. Said they'd send it back to AFPC the next day. Called PEBLO the next week. Same annoyed, I'll call you when I have something brush-off. So now nothing for 3 weeks. Preliminary offer should be here, but I've called the PEBLO 20 times in the past week and he hasn't answered the phone. Went by his office twice and the lady at the front told me he was busy and she'd take my information and have him call me back. So now I'm pissed, he should have my prelims, and my computer account is locked out so I can't check my e-mail and he won't answer the phone. I've never in my life seen a more inefficient program in my life. Kill me now.
 
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Does anyone have the number to AFPC and the VA to check status. I just called 1800 525 0102 and was connected to someone named Tom, and he pretty much said no I can't get any information from them, and that all contact has to go through my PEBLO.
 
Google form 21-22, fill it out and bring it to your local DAV or American Legion asap. This will assign them as your representation to the VA for your claim and will allow them to get into the system and give you exact specifics on the status of your case. They can also advocate and make calls on your behalf...they have POC's and telephone numbers that we are not privied to. If you are unsure of where your local chapter is, visit dav.org

We don't have Ombudsmen in the AF, only PEBLO's, patient advocates and case managers. Patient Advocacy is typically located in the base hospital. Go to your Tricare office to request a case manager if you want one. Your VA MSC may/may not be worth a c***. DAV, American Legion, etc. is the way to go when dealing with your package being at the VA. Your PEBLO is (supposed to be) the POC for all things PEB (AFPC).
 
Well I went ahead and called my patient advocate. She told me that we don't have enough PEBLO's here to be able to even check on cases once a week. Apparently by my base's standards, it's 100% A OK to not follow up on anything
 
Drew Smith said:
Well I went ahead and called my patient advocate. She told me that we don't have enough PEBLO's here to be able to even check on cases once a week. Apparently by my base's standards, it's 100% A OK to not follow up on anything
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My base is the same way. You gotta learn to do everything by yourself because the only person who is gonna take care of you is yourself. Call the VA and AFPC yourself. Its what I do.
 
Finally I've had some progress. I got my initial findings with 40% from the Air Force and 80% from the VA. That was Monday of last week. I should be able to go house hunting on Nov 10 and be on terminal Nov 30 but I still haven't been updated in virtual to start outprocessing and I've got 10 days to separate. FML
 
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