Too late to add unfitting condition?

Hello all. Currently at the IPEB stage of the process. Was originally referred for an MEB based on DX of psoriatic arthritis and anklyosing spondylitis. Before finalizing the Air Force Form 618, I had the PEBLO add fibromyalgia.

Being uninformed, not having access to the Air Force Medical Standards, and perhaps not crossing my Ts and dotting my Is, I never thought to make sure that my rheumatologist explicitly stated my methotrexate and Humira were treating psoriatic arthritis AND plaque psoriasis... One would assume the two go hand in hand.

The PEB has now asked the VA to provide ratings... Psoriasis has not been fully considered, in the VA exams or this process. Is it too late for me to get this considered for DoD retirement purposes?

 

[brianmatt31]

Hello all. Currently at the IPEB stage of the process. Was originally referred for an MEB based on DX of psoriatic arthritis and anklyosing spondylitis. Before finalizing the Air Force Form 618, I had the PEBLO add fibromyalgia.

Being uninformed, not having access to the Air Force Medical Standards, and perhaps not crossing my Ts and dotting my Is, I never thought to make sure that my rheumatologist explicitly stated my methotrexate and Humira were treating psoriatic arthritis AND plaque psoriasis... One would assume the two go hand in hand.

The PEB has now asked the VA to provide ratings... Psoriasis has not been fully considered, in the VA exams or this process. Is it too late for me to get this considered for DoD retirement purposes?

uhwarrior6608, I had this same question last month. The answer is NO! And you need to fight to get it added now and not take the advice of the PEBLO or VA MSC that you can add this within a year after retirement. Although they may not fully understand that if you don't have 20 active years of service the DoD is your shot at possibly making close to what you would if you did make it to 20. My case is just that. I'm hitting 17 active years in Sep 2017 and even though I'm rated 80% VA right now ($1600ish monthly) it isn't even close to what I'd make retiring out with 20 years ($4000). So my fight is making sure that I retire out with the DoD % because of 4 of my medical issues are not fitting for military service per the regs for Army.
Bottom line is fight!

Here is my story in short. My MEB started in Fall of 2016 and I turned in all conditions that I had been diagnosed with from my civilian Dr. that I had hidden from the Army. Diabetes T2 is my referred condition. So forward past the C&P exams in the Fall and we are now into Spring. So Feb 2017 I received my DA 3947 and NARSUM. Sent it back in and in May I had gone to a cardiologist for a possible issue from a ER visit of pneumonia and flu. So had a Tilt Table test and Stress Echo test done. Turns out from the minor episodes of fainting/passing out it was confirmed that I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope with Ischemia. So this was NOT on my initial claim.
When I brought this up to my PEBLO he stated that I would have to wait until I'm retired out. I disagreed with him and said that I have to get it added now since I'm in the process and it would be rated this go around versus waiting the long process the VA has to get it added but this will also be unfitting to help my DoD %.
I also spoke to my VA MSC and he suggested that I'd need to start a new claim. But asking folks on here like Chaplaincharlie and others, this can be added to the current process. I think for the Air Force they called it "recalling the packet" or something like that. For me though I went on ebenefits and started a new claim to add my heart stuff there and I also had my cardiologist fill out the VA DBQ and sign it since the C&P exams was already done last year. Didn't know if the VA would push off or not so I did that to get ahead of them. My C&P exams was a joke so no trust there. I then contacted my legal folks (Camp Atterbury is my assigned PEBLO/VA MSC/JAG) and spoke to them. I was told that when the IPEB was done and the DA 199 is sent to me that I can appeal to get the heart condition added but also do a VARR to get the VA to reconsider the ratings they've messed up on and use my actual documentation to correct some of their %'s. So I'm in a wait status but looking on vets.gov I see all my documents that I've loaded to include the new claim for my heart condition. Did it slow my process down ? I'm not sure but I have all documents on the VA sites.

So fight on brother. There are a lot of these types of questions on this site. Read and read some more.