Help with pay question?

Dickie G

PEB Forum Regular Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
I have trying to figure this out and I could use some help. All hypothetical talk; if I was to get out 100% VA and maxed the DOD combat related as a E8 with 18 years of service what would my pay look like. I tried to use the calculator that I found on here but can't get it to work. I know that the max VA is around $2800, but add that with DOD, CRSC, and early SS may pay should what. I really help the help.

Respectfully,
G
 
Trying to figure out my new budget for my next phase in life.
 
I have trying to figure this out and I could use some help. All hypothetical talk; if I was to get out 100% VA and maxed the DOD combat related as a E8 with 18 years of service what would my pay look like. I tried to use the calculator that I found on here but can't get it to work. I know that the max VA is around $2800, but add that with DOD, CRSC, and early SS may pay should what. I really help the help.

Respectfully,
G
Max VA can a lot more depending on if you receive SMC and Aid & Attendance. Mine is around $3,600 - $3,800...memory fails me.
 
I have trying to figure this out and I could use some help. All hypothetical talk; if I was to get out 100% VA and maxed the DOD combat related as a E8 with 18 years of service what would my pay look like. I tried to use the calculator that I found on here but can't get it to work. I know that the max V isA is around $2800, but add that with DOD, CRSC, and early SS may pay should what. I really help the help.

Respectfully,
G

So lets try and get close and figure it on some basic numbers. One, lets say 100% VA is $3000. Two, an E8 with 18 years is $4700 and month. Three, 100% CRSC would be $3000 (baseline, see later)

The first number you need to figure is what your DOD retired pay is going to be. The first thing you need to know about that is DOD is going to be the higher of either your disability rating (unfit conditions), or length of service (LOS) and is maxed at 75%. So for you, LOS would be 18 X 2.5 = 45%. Disability retirement will be up to 75%.

So in your case, lets just say you are awarded 60% DOD.

4700 X .60 = $2820 per month Army retired pay.

Now the next consideration is your VA compensation. You said 100% and I will stick to that. We are going to use the $3000 number.The first thing to understand is by law, you can not be paid for the same thing twice, and won't be able to collect VA and Army retirement. What happens is they get offset dollar for dollar. VA pay is tax free so collecting that is usually the best.

So going back to the above listed numbers, it would play out like this:

Army Retirement- $2820
VA Compensation- $3000
Difference- $180
Total Pay After Offset- $3000

As you see the VA pay is more than Army pay and erases all your Army pay. Where you have the chance to get this back is CRSC. The way CRSC works is any of your VA rated disabilities (not just Army conditions) that you can prove are combat related via the DD 2860 and your documentation are combined to get a CRSC percent. Your CRSC conditions are added just like the VA condition's, and combine. It would work like this:

VA combat condition 1-PTSD =50%
VA combat condition 2-Back =40%
VA combat condition 3-Right Ankle =20%
Combined Rating = 80%

The CRSC rating follows the VA compensation chart, so 100% would be $3000 dollars just like the VA chartfor you used in the first paragraph.

The next thing you have to understand about CRSC is it can only be calculated against LOS retirement. What that means is it can not exceed what you would have received had you been retired for LOS. In your case that we made above it would be 45% (18x2.5 = 45%). You take the retirement LOS percent and bounce that against what your retirement pay would be based on that percentage. In your case, that would be $2115 ($4700x45% = $2115). This dollar figure represents the max CRSC you could be paid.

So now you can come up with a final number that would be close if you were awarded 100% VA and 100% CRSC. Your pay after the Army would look like this.

Army Retirement - $2820 before offset, $0 after offset.
VA Compensation - $3000 based on 100%
CRSC Compensation - $2115 based on LOS retirement of 18 years
Total Pay = $5115

Clear as mud?

I hope this helped.

Joe
 
So lets try and get close and figure it on some basic numbers. One, lets say 100% VA is $3000. Two, an E8 with 18 years is $4700 and month. Three, 100% CRSC would be $3000 (baseline, see later)

The first number you need to figure is what your DOD retired pay is going to be. The first thing you need to know about that is DOD is going to be the higher of either your disability rating (unfit conditions), or length of service (LOS) and is maxed at 75%. So for you, LOS would be 18 X 2.5 = 45%. Disability retirement will be up to 75%.

So in your case, lets just say you are awarded 60% DOD.

4700 X .60 = $2820 per month Army retired pay.

Now the next consideration is your VA compensation. You said 100% and I will stick to that. We are going to use the $3000 number.The first thing to understand is by law, you can not be paid for the same thing twice, and won't be able to collect VA and Army retirement. What happens is they get offset dollar for dollar. VA pay is tax free so collecting that is usually the best.

So going back to the above listed numbers, it would play out like this:

Army Retirement- $2820
VA Compensation- $3000
Difference- $180
Total Pay After Offset- $3000

As you see the VA pay is more than Army pay and erases all your Army pay. Where you have the chance to get this back is CRSC. The way CRSC works is any of your VA rated disabilities (not just Army conditions) that you can prove are combat related via the DD 2860 and your documentation are combined to get a CRSC percent. Your CRSC conditions are added just like the VA condition's, and combine. It would work like this:

VA combat condition 1-PTSD =50%
VA combat condition 2-Back =40%
VA combat condition 3-Right Ankle =20%
Combined Rating = 80%

The CRSC rating follows the VA compensation chart, so 100% would be $3000 dollars just like the VA chartfor you used in the first paragraph.

The next thing you have to understand about CRSC is it can only be calculated against LOS retirement. What that means is it can not exceed what you would have received had you been retired for LOS. In your case that we made above it would be 45% (18x2.5 = 45%). You take the retirement LOS percent and bounce that against what your retirement pay would be based on that percentage. In your case, that would be $2115 ($4700x45% = $2115). This dollar figure represents the max CRSC you could be paid.

So now you can come up with a final number that would be close if you were awarded 100% VA and 100% CRSC. Your pay after the Army would look like this.

Army Retirement - $2820 before offset, $0 after offset.
VA Compensation - $3000 based on 100%
CRSC Compensation - $2115 based on LOS retirement of 18 years
Total Pay = $5115

Clear as mud?

I hope this helped.

Joe
This is good information. Now this would be the number give or take a bit left or right, even if I was getting medically retired. I thought it was higher still good news.

Thanks again,
G
 
Newby to the forum so please give me a little slack.
received my ratings back - 90% VA and 20% Army
The only unfitting condition I have is the Back, to explain a little more 3x surgeries for L4/L5 bulged disk and pinched sciatica. now moving the story forward finally had 4th surgery to install spinal cord stimulator after I had my C & P exam.

VA never saw that I had the implant installed so I am appealing this for VA Reconsideration.

I am appealing the V codes for my back as it occurred in theater due to mission - the Board gave me V4- Yes and V1 -V3 as no. I am trying to appeal to have V3 changed to yes however will more than likely have to go to formal board.

My years of Service 15.6 years active and 9 years Reserve. I read the above thread and saw where I can't draw twice for the same issue, but am very unfamiliar with the CRSC and if I qualify for it.

Finally the Army has offered me one of two options;
Option 1 - severance which is a sizable chunk of change, but I think I give up my ID card, future mil pay when I hit age 60 etc

Or

Option 2 - decline severance and then wait till age 60( for my case it would be reduced due to the deployment rule) and then I could draw my retirement. also food for thought I am only 42years old so 18 years before I would draw retirement

What I am looking for is direction, help, guidance from you members that have been around this for a while.

Thanks

SGM
 
The spinal cord stimulator is not going to help your rating for the back itself. My question to you is were you rated for your sciatica as well? The issues should be separated and not lumped into the 20% rating for DDD. Sciatica is called radiculapathy, and it carries a separate rating. That is what I would base an appeal on. The rest of your lower back is rated by Range of Motion (ROM) which should have actually improved if the stimulator is working.

Can you list out your conditions as listed on your 199? I would like to see if any of your other issues could be moved to unfit conditions via appeal. The reason the radiculapathy is important is it is a symptom of your back condition. If your back is bad, and causing nerve impingement, it is easy to show that that condition directly affected your ability to perform military duties at the same time as the back condition.

I appealed the above and went from a 20% rating to a 30% rating based on having radiculapathy added to the unfitting column. In my case, it got a 10% rating, and my back 20%
 
Consider the timing of your VA Reconsideration. Not sure if you have already submitted the recon request, but, generally, it is better practice to do this after the formal- that maximizes the number of conditions you can "recon request." Doing a reconsideration request to the VA early can cause the need for later steps- like waiting until you are separated/retired, then appealing again to the VA, and then going back through ABCMR to fix the errors.

Almost certainly (not always), you are better off with the retirement option vice severance.
 
Hey Ranger and Jason,
Thanks for the input, to follow up on Rangers request for info, my 199 has the following rated conditions
Sleep Apnea - 50%
Tinitius - 10%
Migrane/headaches - 30%
Not PTSD(Mild Adjustment Disorder(anxiety/depression NOS) - 50%
Back - 20%
and a bunch other 0 % rated items

Bottom Line Up Front the only unfitting condition was the back injury and the PTSD(NOS) was rated by VA after the fact and I was surprised by that rating, however the PEB came back and asked if I wanted to appeal it to be added and I said yes. They reconsidered however in the end said no(short version of the long answer from medical experts).

I wonder whether or not I can add this again to my formal appeal when I go before the board?

So adding a little more to the issue -

My wife is active duty so I will end up having a dependent ID Card and Tricare thru her benefits.

I do have a 20 year letter from Reserves.

The legal question I have is this, If I take the severance, do I remain a gray area retiree with ID Card until age 60 and then not receive retired pay? I am as my screen name shows a SGM and would love to still retire(whatever that means) but I may be crazy to pass this amount of money up.

Any input from the Pros is certainly appreciated.

SGM Anaconda
 
Sorry another newby question with only having the V code of 4 yes and the rest being no would I still be eligible for CRSC?

Confused about that portion, if they do in fact increase my overall rating to 30 % then would I qualify for the CRSC with V4 yes( or is this not related one to the other)
 
Sorry another newby question with only having the V code of 4 yes and the rest being no would I still be eligible for CRSC?

Confused about that portion, if they do in fact increase my overall rating to 30 % then would I qualify for the CRSC with V4 yes( or is this not related one to the other)

The V codes are not the only thing that factor into CRSC. More important is the ability to connect the VA rated condition to combat. You do this through medical records, board records, awards, witness statement, and BLUFOR, and other things like SAFIR and other intel reports. For example, if got a CAB for an incident that happened in combat, and you could tie that incident to a PTSD trigger, you could claim the condition for CRSC consideration. It does not need to be a unfitting condition. The bad part of CRSC is you would not be able to collect until you hit guard retirement age though.

I want to go back to radiculapathy. Did they lump it into your back rating?
 
Hey Ranger,
Yes they lumped it into the back. I have heard from others that they have been doing that.

So any ideas on whether I would receive ID card if I take Severence? I am still up in the air and at the same time, if I can't draw both streams of money(If increased to 30% I would receive the greater of the 2), wouldn't it make sense to take money up front and then receive the VA pay w/o deduction of severance?

your thoughts

Anaconda
 
Last edited:
Hey Ranger,
Yes they lumped it into the back. I have heard from others that they have been doing that.

So any ideas on whether I would receive ID card if I take Severence? I am still up in the air and at the same time, if I can't draw both streams of money(If increased to 30% I would receive the greater of the 2), wouldn't it make sense to take money up front and then receive the VA pay w/o deduction of severance?

your thoughts

Anaconda

The severance is something to consider. Like you say, it is a big sum of money. Mine was going to be over 100 thousand, but in the end I saw the retirement as a better benefit. Each situation is different. As far as ID, you would not get it based on the severance, but with your spouse still in, you would be able to piggyback as a dependent and have the same access, and tricare.

Things to consider would be what are you going to do with the severance. Being a CSM, I would suspect you are a pretty smart guy and know how to manage money. Getting retirement now would really not benefit you since you can't double dip and get the CRSC now. Since DOD only found your back unfit at 20%, that would be the only the VA would recoup against if you didn't qualify with V code. They would still pay you a combined rating of 60 to 70% after taking away the 20% for the unfitting condition. That still leaves a big chunk of VA compensation on a monthly basis. If you were retired at 30%, I think the VA would exceed the DOD retirement and offset it, so there would be not much to gain there.

I almost never advocate taking severance over retirement, but in your case I think you have a lot to think about. Best thing to do is get a calculator out and start doing math. Look at what you are going to get paid between now and retirement age, and then how much you will make after retirement age if you get CRSC. If "X" = less than severance it is easy an easy choice. If "X" = more than severance, then a fight may be in order to get more. If you get stumped with calculations, send me an IM and we can try and work through it.

Joe
 
Hey Ranger,
just went before the Formal PEB in Crystal City this past week and in the end they separated the Lower back injury from the right leg radiculopathy. They still kept my back at 20% however they said they would forward to VA the VAR for radiculopathy. So now I guess it's the waiting game again.

Any Idea on how long the VAR takes and also where would I look for the VA code for radiculopathy?
Thanks

Anaconda
 
SGM, can I ask what you got for your right leg radiculopathy? I am waiting on my new claim to come back with back injury (L4-L5-S1) plus left leg radiculopathy.
 
Hey Ranger,
just went before the Formal PEB in Crystal City this past week and in the end they separated the Lower back injury from the right leg radiculopathy. They still kept my back at 20% however they said they would forward to VA the VAR for radiculopathy. So now I guess it's the waiting game again.

Any Idea on how long the VAR takes and also where would I look for the VA code for radiculopathy?
Thanks

Anaconda

In support of your inquiry about the VARR, within the new "My IDES Dashboard" it states 92 days for completion of the VARR and re-issue of the new PEB findings.

By the way, congratulations on your favorable formal PEB hearing; indeed, persistence pays off in the end!

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

Best Wishes!
 
Thanks Warrior for the kind words, I was very pleased with the formal board, having been ramped up prior to the board by others who had gone(or thought about going) had talked of the board being so rigid and non flexible that it was a waste of time. I had not only sworn statements to submit, but also brought my wife as well as a witness. Being prepared helped out and I would tell others that if you believe you were not given the proper rating for the injury then the board is the way to go.

//

Jason,

I am still waiting to get the new rating as they just separated the two only this past week. The possibility for the right leg is 10 - 20 % so will see. Once I get info I will post to the site and keep all informed.

Thanks so much for the forum's help.

Hoah!

SGM Anaconda
 
Hey Ranger,
just went before the Formal PEB in Crystal City this past week and in the end they separated the Lower back injury from the right leg radiculopathy. They still kept my back at 20% however they said they would forward to VA the VAR for radiculopathy. So now I guess it's the waiting game again.

Any Idea on how long the VAR takes and also where would I look for the VA code for radiculopathy?
Thanks

Anaconda

Sciatic nerve.

8520
Paralysis of:

Complete; the foot dangles and drops, no active movement possible of muscles below the knee, flexion of knee weakened or (very rarely) lost........................................................................................................... 80

Incomplete:

Severe, with marked muscular atrophy............................................................... 60

Moderately severe .............................................................................................. 40

Moderate............................................................................................................. 20

Mild ................................................................................................................ 10
 
Thanks Warrior for the kind words, I was very pleased with the formal board, having been ramped up prior to the board by others who had gone(or thought about going) had talked of the board being so rigid and non flexible that it was a waste of time. I had not only sworn statements to submit, but also brought my wife as well as a witness. Being prepared helped out and I would tell others that if you believe you were not given the proper rating for the injury then the board is the way to go.

//

Jason,

I am still waiting to get the new rating as they just separated the two only this past week. The possibility for the right leg is 10 - 20 % so will see. Once I get info I will post to the site and keep all informed.

Thanks so much for the forum's help.

Hoah!

SGM Anaconda

You are welcome, indeed! :)

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

Best Wishes!
 
Ranger,
Thanks for the help on the Sciatic nerve.- 8520 Paralysis of: (more than likely I will be found with Mild) however if I go to VA Hospital again I will show them how high I have to keep the SCS on to dull the pain of the right leg.

So 92 days(+/-) Ok so guess that means I will be here thru the holidays waiting. I guess things could be worse!

I think that many have said this before me, but while going thru the MED Board process and having a PEBLO, each Service Member must, "Must" do their homework when it comes to accurately capturing what medical issues have happened throughout their career.

Thanks again to all of you

Anaconda
 
Top