New MEB - Anxiety/Major Depressive Disorder

CaliGrl03

CaliGrl03

PEB Forum Regular Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
Hey all - I'm hoping I can get some guidance because I'm totally freaking out!

My record is currently sitting with AFPC for A/MDD and I was referred to a neurologist for my migraines as part of this process. She made it a point to say they're not "boardable" but a coworker said there was a way to add this...is it too late? If not what do I do? I still have yet to meet my PEBLO (plan on doing so this week) because I was just told I was being MEB (had no idea). The Dr. has me starting a new treatment plan that is NOT working but I can't get in to see her for another 2 months!

Thank You!
 
If your PCM doesn't submit the MEB for migraines specifically then you will have to have it on the VA side of the evaluation. However you can definitely claim migraines, but your real battle is going to be getting it from the VA side of the evaluation to the DOD side.
 
Almost_Separated said:
If your PCM doesn't submit the MEB for migraines specifically then you will have to have it on the VA side of the evaluation. However you can definitely claim migraines, but your real battle is going to be getting it from the VA side of the evaluation to the DOD side.
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How would I go about doing that??
 
Are you asking how do you claim migraines, or how do you get a condition moved from the VA side of the evaluation to the DOD side?
 
Almost_Separated said:
Are you asking how do you claim migraines, or how do you get a condition moved from the VA side of the evaluation to the DOD side?
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Sorry - how to move from the VA side to the DoD. I haven't gone to the VA so I'm assuming they'll just ask what medical conditions I have and that's how the claim is made...?
 
There are essentially 5 opportunities to achieve this.

Opportunity 1: After your QTC exams the MEB is supposed to look at each of your conditions to see whether any of them are unfitting for you specifically based off of your AFSC duty requirements. Someone working in finance will have different duty requirements than someone turning wrenches on the flight line. So while you may have been initially referred to the MEB for your anxiety disorder they may also move over other conditions they believe are unfitting for you in your AFSC to the DOD side of the evaluation. Tragically as good as this sounds it rarely ever happens (in fact I personally have never met someone or even heard of someone that this occurred). This part of the process is broken and they screw a lot of people over by not doing it correctly.

Opportunity 2: After the MEB has finished their evaluation and prior to you signing anything you can request an impartial review of your records. This impartial reviewer has the power to add conditions over to the DOD side of the evaluation. This also rarely happens.

Opportunity 3: You can rebut the impartial reviewers findings to another doctor who can then basically do the same thing, but you get to write an appeal letter for why you don't agree with the impartial reviewer. According to my PEBLO this rarely goes anywhere, however, for me this is where I succeeded! I was able to get my back condition added to the DOD side which later led to me being permanently retired.

Opportunity 4: After the PEB has finished their portion of the evaluation you can appeal your case to formal board, where you will have the opportunity to make a case to them in person for adding your migraines as an unfitting condition. This opportunity is the most popular choice and people have varying degrees of success.

Opportunity 5: There is an addition appeal option past the formal board, but I do not know anything about this besides that it is an opportunity, sorry :)
 
CaliGrl03 said:
Sorry - how to move from the VA side to the DoD. I haven't gone to the VA so I'm assuming they'll just ask what medical conditions I have and that's how the claim is made...?
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You will meet up with a VA Military Services Coordinator (MSC) to assist you in making your claim here shortly. This occurs after your first meeting with your PEBLO. Essentially the MSC will get a copy of your medical records from your PEBLO and the MSC will literally flip through every page of your medical records looking for conditions to claim. This could lead to dozens of additional conditions getting added to the VA side of the evaluation if you have had prior injuries or ailments. If you agree with the MSC's recommendation on what to claim then you sign some documents and he schedules your C&P examinations.
 
CaliGrl03 said:
Sorry - how to move from the VA side to the DoD. I haven't gone to the VA so I'm assuming they'll just ask what medical conditions I have and that's how the claim is made...?
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That’s a lot of information – Thank You so much for laying it out there. I have a few questions (please forgive my ignorance with some of this):
  1. What’s a QTC exam?
  2. Is it beneficial at all to request an impartial review of my records if changes/updates are rare?

  3. What all should be considered in a rebuttal? Let’s say for my migraines, would it matter that this plays a factor in my anxiety even though the neurologist disagrees?
    1. Congrats on your success here!
  4. At what point do all of my medical conditions get reviewed? Will any of this play a factor in my DoD percentage?
 
CaliGrl03 said:
​
That’s a lot of information – Thank You so much for laying it out there. I have a few questions (please forgive my ignorance with some of this):
  1. What’s a QTC exam?
  2. Is it beneficial at all to request an impartial review of my records if changes/updates are rare?

  3. What all should be considered in a rebuttal? Let’s say for my migraines, would it matter that this plays a factor in my anxiety even though the neurologist disagrees?
    1. Congrats on your success here!
  4. At what point do all of my medical conditions get reviewed? Will any of this play a factor in my DoD percentage?
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You are welcome and we were all new to this at one point! You should have seen how many questions I asked early on lol.

1. QTC is the company that is contracted to perform the Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams for the VA. No guarantee is will be this company but it is very likely that it will be them. The terms QTC and C&P are commonly used interchangeably on this forum.

2. You should always use every appeal option available to you if you are trying to achieve something, so yes! The reason for this is that you cannot at later date request this review if it is passed up earlier on. Also, doing the appeals early on can save you a lot of time later on. I am glad that I never had to go to the formal board.

3. Essentially you will make a case for why you believe your condition should be considered by the PEB for evaluation. If right now your migraines are inhibiting your performance at work then that is the perfect case to present. If you get to a point later on where you have to write this letter then PM me and I'll give you a copy of my letter as an example to follow. Your PEBLO will also provide you an example letter upon request.

4. All of your medical conditions will be reviewed and evaluated early on in the MEB. Look at my timeline and others to see examples of this. Just look for statements about C&P exams or QTC exams. This will only occur if AFPC decides to go through with a full MEB. If you look at my timeline you will see that it took them forever to decide this because of various factors. Your DOD conditions and your VA conditions will all be evaluated and reviewed during the same set of exams.
 
Almost_Separated said:
You are welcome and we were all new to this at one point! You should have seen how many questions I asked early on lol.

1. QTC is the company that is contracted to perform the Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams for the VA. No guarantee is will be this company but it is very likely that it will be them. The terms QTC and C&P are commonly used interchangeably on this forum.

2. You should always use every appeal option available to you if you are trying to achieve something, so yes! The reason for this is that you cannot at later date request this review if it is passed up earlier on. Also, doing the appeals early on can save you a lot of time later on. I am glad that I never had to go to the formal board.

3. Essentially you will make a case for why you believe your condition should be considered by the PEB for evaluation. If right now your migraines are inhibiting your performance at work then that is the perfect case to present. If you get to a point later on where you have to write this letter then PM me and I'll give you a copy of my letter as an example to follow. Your PEBLO will also provide you an example letter upon request.

4. All of your medical conditions will be reviewed and evaluated early on in the MEB. Look at my timeline and others to see examples of this. Just look for statements about C&P exams or QTC exams. This will only occur if AFPC decides to go through with a full MEB. If you look at my timeline you will see that it took them forever to decide this because of various factors. Your DOD conditions and your VA conditions will all be evaluated and reviewed during the same set of exams.
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So it's during the QTC/C&P exams that will determine the reasons for my MEB and the overall percentages not the initial review (IRILO I think?)? I will definitely reach out to you for that letter. I'm sure I'm going all the way so I'm trying to get all my stuff lined up and ready to go.
 
No the reason for your MEB comes solely from your PCM who initiates the MEB. The percentages come at the end if you are found unfit for duty, and they come from the VA who uses the C&P exam notes along with your medical records to determine your ratings. If you are found fit for duty by the PEB then you won't get any ratings. This is all rather complex and may require a bit more reading up on. I found the website http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/doddisability.html to be a very great source of information. Spend some time reading through how the process works and ask questions on this site for clarification when needed. Your PEBLO will also lay out all of this information in your first briefing, but there is so much info that you will forget most of it the moment you walk out of the office.

The IRILO is just a review that determines whether your case is worth pursuing a full MEB or not. They could determine that your condition isn't serious enough at this moment and just do an IRILO on you every year. AFPC makes this determination based off of your NARSUM and Commander's letter.
 
Almost_Separated said:
No the reason for your MEB comes solely from your PCM who initiates the MEB. The percentages come at the end if you are found unfit for duty, and they come from the VA who uses the C&P exam notes along with your medical records to determine your ratings. If you are found fit for duty by the PEB then you won't get any ratings. This is all rather complex and may require a bit more reading up on. I found the website http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/doddisability.html to be a very great source of information. Spend some time reading through how the process works and ask questions on this site for clarification when needed. Your PEBLO will also lay out all of this information in your first briefing, but there is so much info that you will forget most of it the moment you walk out of the office.

The IRILO is just a review that determines whether your case is worth pursuing a full MEB or not. They could determine that your condition isn't serious enough at this moment and just do an IRILO on you every year. AFPC makes this determination based off of your NARSUM and Commander's letter.
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That was perfect - Thank You!
 
Almost_Separated said:
No the reason for your MEB comes solely from your PCM who initiates the MEB. The percentages come at the end if you are found unfit for duty, and they come from the VA who uses the C&P exam notes along with your medical records to determine your ratings. If you are found fit for duty by the PEB then you won't get any ratings. This is all rather complex and may require a bit more reading up on. I found the website http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/doddisability.html to be a very great source of information. Spend some time reading through how the process works and ask questions on this site for clarification when needed. Your PEBLO will also lay out all of this information in your first briefing, but there is so much info that you will forget most of it the moment you walk out of the office.

The IRILO is just a review that determines whether your case is worth pursuing a full MEB or not. They could determine that your condition isn't serious enough at this moment and just do an IRILO on you every year. AFPC makes this determination based off of your NARSUM and Commander's letter.
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What were you and your PEBLO looking for in your NARSUM when you set an appointment with them? Mine seems to be very hands off.
 
Some PCM's will set an appointment with their patient in order to better get a grasp of their condition. My PCM didn't do this for me and my NARSUM reflected this neglect. My PEBLO wasn't much help in the matter. Thankfully I asked a lot of questions and decided to pursue getting the NARSUM fixed sooner than later.
 
Please stay on this forum. there are numerous links and resources that will help you understand this MEB process. talk to people that have gone through the process. I haven't seen any two situations that were exactly the same but the process doesn't change.
I submitted 23 conditions, 2 only one of those were boardable. after my QTC/C&P exams they found 2 other conditions that I could claim. I haven't claimed those as of yet. I came away with 40% DOD and 100% VA so I didn't bother to make the additional claim. I will in the future after im off Active duty. I am currently on terminal leave.
 
Sgt zo said:
Please stay on this forum. there are numerous links and resources that will help you understand this MEB process. talk to people that have gone through the process. I haven't seen any two situations that were exactly the same but the process doesn't change.
I submitted 23 conditions, 2 only one of those were boardable. after my QTC/C&P exams they found 2 other conditions that I could claim. I haven't claimed those as of yet. I came away with 40% DOD and 100% VA so I didn't bother to make the additional claim. I will in the future after im off Active duty. I am currently on terminal leave.
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Yeah so I was notified today my record came back from AFPC - recommended a full MEB (no surprise there). I was however surprised when my PEBLO said I would probably be medically separated as opposed to retired. I didn't think they could determine that...do you (or anyone else) know how I would go about pushing for a medical retirement?
 
CaliGrl03 said:
Yeah so I was notified today my record came back from AFPC - recommended a full MEB (no surprise there). I was however surprised when my PEBLO said I would probably be medically separated as opposed to retired. I didn't think they could determine that...do you (or anyone else) know how I would go about pushing for a medical retirement?
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Your PEBLO's speculations are irrelevant. They are simply paper pushers and have nothing to do with any decisions. The PEB determines fitness and the VA determines ratings. Also, there isn't anything that you can do to "push for a medical retirement" at this point. Once you are further in the process, there are steps you can take to appeal determinations, but at this point you are playing the waiting game. Which is the vast majority of the overall process anyway. I'm sorry there isn't a better answer. Just keep reading through these forums and be as prepared as you can be for each phase of the process. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions of anyone throughout the process. This is your future that is being affected and don't let anyone make you feel dumb for asking a question when you aren't sure about something.
 
Given you are being boarded for a mental health condition it could just lead to temporary retirement with reevaluations for 5 years max or sooner if they feel your condition has stabilized. After that you could be placed on the permanent retired list. Getting under 30% for a mental health condition that they find unfitting would be unheard of. I got 70% for my generalized anxiety disorder.
 
mrando69 said:
Your PEBLO's speculations are irrelevant. They are simply paper pushers and have nothing to do with any decisions. The PEB determines fitness and the VA determines ratings. Also, there isn't anything that you can do to "push for a medical retirement" at this point. Once you are further in the process, there are steps you can take to appeal determinations, but at this point you are playing the waiting game. Which is the vast majority of the overall process anyway. I'm sorry there isn't a better answer. Just keep reading through these forums and be as prepared as you can be for each phase of the process. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions of anyone throughout the process. This is your future that is being affected and don't let anyone make you feel dumb for asking a question when you aren't sure about something.
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Thank You. I'll be sure to inquire. Also, at what point am I able to appeal determinations? Is this after my C&P appointments?
 
CaliGrl03 said:
Thank You. I'll be sure to inquire. Also, at what point am I able to appeal determinations? Is this after my C&P appointments?
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Make sure when you meet with your MSC (VA rep) that you claim everything. If you have any documentation from a civilian doctor, get it to your provider now so they can get it into the system. After your C&P exams, you'll get your NARSUM and other stuff. I say "stuff" because I'm Army so I'm not sure what the AF forms are. Before you sign anything, make sure that all the items that you claimed are on there and that all of the other forms are correct and have legal review it as well. If something is missing or incorrect, this is your first opportunity to do something about it. Mine was correct, so I don't know what the actual process is to appeal or dispute any findings or correct any errors but there are plenty of experts on this site that can make suggestions when you get to that point.
 
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