Good evening, (posted this before but I changed the thread it’s in)
I had some old posts on here about a year ago asking about the MEB process because I was ALMOST about to start the MED board process because my Dr. put me on Renflaxin (immune suppressant). I was put on that medication because Mezalamine did not work.
I convinced my Dr. to give Mezalamine one more try and I had 3 or 4 more flare ups after that and now I’m being put back on biological infusions and In the future an at home injection with Entyvio.
The MedBoard admin department (totally forgot the name) called me today giving me a heads up and asking for personal admin data saying a decision on the MEB referral from the PCM would be made the next couple weeks.
My question is if you’ve had a similar experience or knowledge of this, how long will the process from now till separation be on average with such a cut and try situation (from what I’ve been told) and what are the outcomes with the VA /disability be for someone on this medication ?
Thank you for the responses in advance.
You can look up the VA ratings for your condition and compare your symptoms to the ratings. That should give you an idea of your DOD% since in IDES the PEB must use the rating that the VA gave you for the condition. So for UC you can easily get an idea of what your DOD% would be if found unfit for that condition. Its common to be found unfit when you require biologic medication.
Your goal should be 30% DOD so if you can't reach it by that condition alone you may want to see if there are any other conditions you have that prevents you from doing your job.
For most Soldiers the monthly compensation doesn't change whether medically retired or separated since if you have less than 20 years your VA compensation will offset a medical retirement and the mass majority have a higher VA compensation amount than their medical pension meaning its all offset. I cannot understate how amazing Tricare is for you and your family for the rest of your life! That's the goal! Also, the nice thing about earning a medical retirement is that it creates a floor for compensation. Meaning if your VA compensation went to zero you at the very least get the amount of your medical retirement.
My wife was an O4 with 17 AFS and she got 75% DOD. That gave her 6k a month. That is her floor for compensation regardless of how the VA rates her conditions going forward.
As for the process its long and varies. It can be as short as 4 months and as long as 18 months. For the mass majority though the timeframe is 6-9 months. I would plan as much as you can. However, I wouldn't be applying to jobs until after you get your retirement orders. Everyone jumps the gun on this one and then get in a pinch when they land their dream job but no longer have control over the timeline meaning that dream job is in jeopardy.
Make sure to think about all of your conditions to make sure you claim everything for VA compensation. I always recommend an attorney if you won't reach 20 year retirement. The outcome has lifelong financial repercussions so I want to ensure I get the best result possible. I will send you references offline in case you want to check that option out.
Make sure to think about financial things in advance. For example are you going to do the SBP? Check out the costs. Also, if your conditions don't affect mortality rates I would apply for 30 year term life insurance. If you can lock in term life insurance you can forgo the SBP. Also, if you go with USAA for life insurance then after you are medically retired you can get an additional policy for the amount of SGLI at the same rate as your policy. My wife was able to get 2.5 million dollar 30 year term policy for only $145 a month. Its actually 2 policies with the 500K being added on a few months after she got out due to having USAA and their SGLI endorsement. Her SBP would have cost $400 a month and the monthly pay to me would have only been $3,300 a month. So having a 30 year term policy was much better for us and I am certain I could make way more than that from having 2+ million in investments.
SAVE ALL OF YOUR LEAVE! This will give you a longer runway to find a job. Also, if you don't need it you can just cash in the leave. It gives you options.
SAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU CAN! There is a decent gap due to pay being in the arrears. So once you medically retire and are not on PTDY or terminal leave there will be a gap in time where you won't get any checks. Expect to not receive anything for 2-3 months.
