VARR

[USN1990]

Has anyone submitted a VARR recently? If so, do you mind sharing what your timeframe for that was?
I was told to only expect maybe two weeks and it’s been almost a month. Coming up on my one year IDES anniversary and reallllly hoping to be done before hitting that awful milestone.

 

[Provis]

Has anyone submitted a VARR recently? If so, do you mind sharing what your timeframe for that was?
I was told to only expect maybe two weeks and it’s been almost a month. Coming up on my one year IDES anniversary and reallllly hoping to be done before hitting that awful milestone.

4-6 weeks. Can be up to 8 weeks if backed up.

 

[thanks4urhelp]

4-6 weeks. Can be up to 8 weeks if backed up.

Would you mind describing what VARR consists of? I still regularly advise people on other forums about the MEB process, but I don't have much experience with the VARR process and would like to know what it entails.

From what I understand, VARR is a reconsideration request to be applied for if you have new evidence that would potentially effect your ratings proposal. I'm not sure if that triggers a new exam or if it just makes its way back to a rater to evaluate once more.

Is there any associated risk? Is it possible for individuals to get a decrease from a VARR, and if so, is it likely or unlikely?

Thank you.

And @USN1990 I'm hoping you get out ASAP. You've been through it! Hoping you have a great post service life when you get to it.

 

[Provis]

Would you mind describing what VARR consists of? I still regularly advise people on other forums about the MEB process, but I don't have much experience with the VARR process and would like to know what it entails.

From what I understand, VARR is a reconsideration request to be applied for if you have new evidence that would potentially effect your ratings proposal. I'm not sure if that triggers a new exam or if it just makes its way back to a rater to evaluate once more.

Is there any associated risk? Is it possible for individuals to get a decrease from a VARR, and if so, is it likely or unlikely?

Thank you.

And @USN1990 I'm hoping you get out ASAP. You've been through it! Hoping you have a great post service life when you get to it.

A VARR is an appeal to the VA to increase their rating for a condition that has been found unfit by the PEB. I have never heard of one going down, only increasing or staying the same. Its basically a document stating why your symptoms better match a higher rating based on the VA's own ratings standards. Depending on the condition it can be just facts that are already in the medical record that you point out to them but you can also include supporting documents attached to appeal such a DBQ or letter from a medical professional that is evidence to support your claim.

Once the higher level review is done by the VA the % is determined. In IDES the military must use the VA's ratings for DOD% for unfitting conditions. So if for example you had 30% proposed rating for mental health and you submitted a VARR for to increase it to 70%. Whatever the VA decides will affect the DOD%. So if the VARR came back 50% which is a win because you got it raised from 30% to 50% (even though you had hoped for 70%), then if that is your only unfitting condition the informal or formal PEB results would be changed from a 30% DOD to 50% DOD.