VA vs. MEB

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etssoon

PEB Forum Regular Member
Hello all and thank you for the time put into this forum. I have a couple questions that I cannot get good answers on. I am an active duty 35F SGT who while deployed to Iraq hurt both my wrists in Pt.(Combatives). To spare the details I now have a partial right wrist fusion on my right(dominant wrist) that is a salvage surgury. I lost over 50% ROM and 43% strength and will need a wrist replacement later in life. My left wrist needed a bone rotated and the ligaments reconstructed and I am expected to lose 30% downward motion from that along with other various ailments.

The confusion I am having is that my ETS date is approaching and I was planning on getting out. Currently I am on a temp P3 profile where I cannot fire a weapon, push ups, or lock hands for sit ups. The Dr said I qualified to go to a MEB? proceeding but advised against it. She said that since my ETS date is in 4 months I would be extended for up to 2 years and that I should work with the VA.

I have tried to do some of my own research on the difference between VA disability and medical retirement. As far as I can see the big difference is insurrance for my family with the MRB compared to complete insurance for me through the VA if I am rated at over 50%. I am not concerned about commissary priveledges or other post stuff. Tight now I am thinking of taking their advice. Am I missing the big picture on anything that I should have been told????????? Also, if anyone can give me an approximate rating for this it would help. Thank you very much for your time.
 
You should definately contact the PEBLO office at your duty station.. Im not completely sure, but i do believe that I heard someone in one of my briefings that was basically in the same boat as yourself, and they basically get put on like a medical hold status, and dont actually have to extend for a definate amount of time. Again, I am not completely positive, Sorry i couldnt be of more assistance.
 
etssoon said:
Hello all and thank you for the time put into this forum. I have a couple questions that I cannot get good answers on. I am an active duty 35F SGT who while deployed to Iraq hurt both my wrists in Pt.(Combatives). To spare the details I now have a partial right wrist fusion on my right(dominant wrist) that is a salvage surgury. I lost over 50% ROM and 43% strength and will need a wrist replacement later in life. My left wrist needed a bone rotated and the ligaments reconstructed and I am expected to lose 30% downward motion from that along with other various ailments.

The confusion I am having is that my ETS date is approaching and I was planning on getting out. Currently I am on a temp P3 profile where I cannot fire a weapon, push ups, or lock hands for sit ups. The Dr said I qualified to go to a MEB? proceeding but advised against it. She said that since my ETS date is in 4 months I would be extended for up to 2 years and that I should work with the VA.

Yes, you aren entitled to the pdes process. Do not just ETS, you will cheat yourself. Go to the VA.

I have tried to do some of my own research on the difference between VA disability and medical retirement. As far as I can see the big difference is insurrance for my family with the MRB compared to complete insurance for me through the VA if I am rated at over 50%. I am not concerned about commissary priveledges or other post stuff. Tight now I am thinking of taking their advice. Am I missing the big picture on anything that I should have been told????????? Also, if anyone can give me an approximate rating for this it would help. Thank you very much for your time.
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The VA compensates you for your injuries, the Military compensates you for a lost career. The VA will only provide insurance (ChampVA), and dependant education benefits (DEA) to veterans dependants rated at 100% permanent and total. When your ROM is measured they give you the numbers measured with a genometer do you have those numbers, it helps when figuring your %age. Also, you will want to gather evidence on how your conditions effect youir life.

Good luck
 
My final evaluation is 15deg extension and 20 deg flexion on my right wrist with a 4 inch scar. The left wrist is not done with yet but they expect a 30% loss of downward movement. Does this sound like I would get 30% through MEB? Is this a cut and dry case? Also, I saw the post where to get complete medical care through the VA I need a 100% rating but in my VA brief they said 50%. Are you sure I got bad info. Thank you very much.
 
I don't know about bad info, I do know that most of the time when you get a rating from the VA, it needs "fine-tuning". I wish anything concerning the MEB process is cut and dry. I'm not good at figuring %age, but now that you have posted it, someone can chime in with more knowledge than me. A good veterans service officer can explain your benefits with the VA better than me. I wish you luck.
 
I would let the Army retire you medically. Makes your case at the VA easier. VA only compensates you because of how your injuries will affect you on the civilian side. The Army will rate you based on how it affected your military career. Both will rate you different. Usually the VA will rate you lower then the Army. Hope this helps but I will fill a claim asap so it can be retroactive from the claim date. Talk to a VA Rep.
 
I would get the MEB and figure out a way to expidite it. There is a program that allows one to return home on active duty while processing the MEB/PEB. I need to find the details. How many years do you have in? Given you were hurt in Iraq doing combative training, you should be eligible for CRSC, if medically retired, and enhanced severance pay if separated. The 50% VA rating usally means health care for you. A 100% VA permanent and total rating usally means VA health care for you and your family. The VA usally rates higher than the military. Where are you located and will your MEB/PEB be done under the DoD/VA pilot program?

Mike
 
I would like to thank everyone for their responses and apologize for the delay in continuing this thread! I finally started the MEB process. My Dr was less than helpful. (Tried telling the MEB board nurse I needed two years left on my contract to start and the Army would not extend me!?) The good news is that my chain of Command has been very supportive and the MEB board nurse really cares for soldiers. This forum combined with the previously mentioned people gave me the information to make a sound decision. Thank you!! I will keep you informed on my timeline.

P.S. For the record, I did file a complaint against the Dr. for her to get educated on the system and not screw SM's over. I hope I helped the next person.
 
In general, the VA total rating is higher. This is because the VA total rating is for all service connected conditions and the military PEBs only rate conditions the PEB deems unfitting which is usually a subset of all service connected conditions.

The VA tends to rate the same condition higher than the PEBs. There were a lot of studies conducted for the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission that demonstrated this trend. Under the IDES, the VA provides the ratings for the PEBs to apply to unfitting conditons so the differeneces between the VA and PEB ratings for the same conditons is slowly but surely going away, at least for initial ratings. However, it appears as the VA will not always be involved in TDRL ratings so the VA PEB rating differences will still be a problem for those undergoing TDRL ratings.

Mike
 
"However, it appears as the VA will not always be involved in TDRL ratings so the VA PEB rating differences will still be a problem for those undergoing TDRL ratings"

what do you mean by that map? do you mean for people put on tdrl and applying for a rating from the va after discharge from active duty or do you mean those who are given tdrl in IDES arnt rated by the va?
 
They will apparently under go TDRL review via legacy style DES evaluation. Military MEB/PEB only.

Mike
 
thats a bummer. but i figure if you have a va rating for the same condition you are on tdrl for, they cant really go far from it. since they are supposed to be following the VASRD.
 
Are you on a duty limiting profile? If so how long? When was your sugery? When is your estimated separation date?
 
One big area of difference between TDRL and VA ratings is for diabetes. There are a boat load of cases of TDRL PEBs dropping diabetes ratings to 20% despite a current VA rating of 40%.

Mike
 
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