After The PDBR

I just received a (get this) $33.00 and $55.00 check last night for over $700.00 in expenses. We spent many, many late evenings getiting claims together and a whole Saturday getting copies made and packages in envelopes. It cost more (so far) to make the copies and time (at my hourly rate of pay) than I've gotten back.

As for the retro/severance question: the VA collected mine, then turned over the collection of that money to DFAS. Along with that went the balance they had already collected to date. When DFAS audited my account, they found that I would have received $12K more than the VA has paid over the past several years, so the applied that to my existing debt, HOWEVER, I'm not combat-related so I won't see DFAS money anyway so it's to my advantage to have them do this. It's a wish that they would return the VA witholding and just keep taking it from the DFAS account until it's paid, but that's not how it works (for my case).

In your case, if you're going to get CRSC, they'll do the same audit to ensure you have no debts to the government. If you don't owe, they'll calculate your retro and should just pay you. If you're getting VA comp, though, they still have to bump it against the VA account before paying you - I guess this is just how the process works.

I'd keep bugging them. They owe you a great deal of $$. I still think they will off-set any owed severance by taking from your DFAS account, so if you're due retro, they'll get the debt cleared first before they pay you the retro.

I've read that the VA off-set you'll see in your retired account under chapter 61 will be eliminated by 2014, but that's for those having CRDP. CRSC is different (as you know) and doesn't apply to me so I'm not the best to speak on it. Check this out:
http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/crsc.html
 
According to the health.mil site, i think the Army should calculate what your retired pay would have been and then apply that to your severance. The VA is still recouping my severance pay and have been since 2003. They won't finish until 2016. HAHAHA! This whole thing is a big mess still, 3 years later. My service..Uncle Sams Confused Group, has stated i owe the severance still, they have never audited my account or anything. The USCG has their own pay center in Topeka, KS. I still get bills for the SBP, they state i owe them a couple of grand. I do not. I do agree, Congress needs to act and pass some legislation or maybe go through the courts? I am not sure the route to fix this once and for all. I went the Congressional route as well. I had no luck there. I just don't know. I have basically given up, i have an anxiety disorder and enough issues to deal with right now. A real head scratcher for sure. I think my severance would be recouped completely if they did a proper audit of my retirement account to calculate my retirement pay to the time i was notified of my retirement..2010. Congress needs to act and the dang VSO's need to do something too, add it to their agenda. I think they personally could give a fig about any of us. I worked for the VA and use to chat with them, they know nothing about the PDBR. What a shame.
 
A lot of them do not support Concurrent Receipt for us Chapter 61 retirees either. They state it will lead to other vets not getting compensation as they VA will state some medical problems were genetic and so forth. I don't buy it, i believe we all deserve it. We were wrongly terminated to begin with.
 
Happy Birthday to me! Today I turned 47 years young and what do I receive in the mail?? That's right, another bill from DFAS that says that I owe over $7,000.00 for an SBP that dates back to my seperation date in 2004. First off, as Mike has stated in previous post, how can I be billed for something that I never used? The Army granted my retirement in Dec. 2011. I never received any kind of counseling on how to fill out paperwork and I have had to figure out everything on my own. In other words, do everyone's job (DFAS, VA, RSO). It just seems as if nobody really cares and this is another thank you (check in the block) from the military. I also talked to DFAS about an audit that VA was supposed to send to them regarding my severance pay which has already been recouped. They gave a figure of $91,000 for retirement and $91360.00 for VA waiver? The lady at DFAS said that $91,360.00 is what I should have been paid to date for disability pay and since I did not do 20 plus years there will be no retro retirement pay for me. I tried to explain to her that "yes" I was awarded disability compensation in 2004, however the VA started recouping the severance pay on June 1, 2004 and kept recouping until Oct. of 2008. So, for 4 plus years I received "NOTHING".....no money until it (severance) was recouped!
Now, since the Army has recognized me as being retired as of Dec. 2011 (dated back to May 19, 2004 my official retirement date) I want the money that the VA recouped! Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks
 
nolansgrandpa: First, you need to get the SBP corrected. You have to go through the BCMR process as you're trying to undo something that happened retroactively. I declined the SBP, had to have my wife sign and had it notarized before handing it in to make sure this didn't happen. Second, if the VA collected your severance, you won't see that money (from the VA, at least). The problem is that the VA isn't talking to DFAS. Did you get your DFAS audit? If so, they only estimated what the VA should have been paying you. I'm working on this myself. DFAS has not recognized how much I've already paid back through the VA comp recoupment. I'll call DFAS and see what they say. If I can get a name or number that will help you, I'll post it. If you should have been paid CRSC or CRDP, then DFAS owes you retro (JMHO).
 
SBP cases for those that were retroactively retired poses an interesting problem. There is no doubt I would recommend approval of any request to correct a record to show someone declined SBP. That would be a no-brainer. The problem would be to correct a record to allow someone to have SBP but to have the premiums start on the date the record was corrected to show the individual was retired. The law doesn't support it. The BCMRs correct military records and whatever pay is due as a result of that correction becomes payable. The BCMR can correct a record to show the effective date of a retirement is the date the PDRB approved the request, but that would affect the retroactive retired pay. I'd have to sit down with the lawyers on this one.
 
As stated on the Health.mil website about the PDBR. This is my interpretation. Pretend the VA does not exist. Now, DFAS should configure your retirement pay from retro date of retirement till the day you were notified of retirement. Whatever that amount is, that should offset the severance payment. Many would not have filed for VA compensation if medically retired. The VA should return what they recouped to the person. This sounds easy, maybe i am wrong but the VA should be put aside when figuring this stuff up. Congress needs to act.
 
The problems that I have are and I am not sure how to fix because neither VA or DFAS really give straight answers:
1. I still have not received my corrected DD214 (DD215)
2. I paid back all of my severance pay (no disability compensation check from June 2004 - Oct. 2008) so where is that money from that time period and who owes me it?
3. I owe $7,000 for an SBP dating back to 2004. I did decline it but my wife did not sign because I was never told how to fill the stupid form out. Besides, why should we have to pay for what was earned? Does congress pay for SBP on their retirement? :/
Congress needs to recognize us that intended to stick it out for 20 but were discharged for medical reasons as full pledged retirees with all of the same benefits that a 20 years retiree gets and not just a stinking blue ID card that I can't even use because the closest base is 6 plus hours away.
 
nolansgrandpa,

I hear you! I got my PDBR results in June of 2010. I never received a DD 215 or a corrected DD 214. I experienced the same thing. I was given no instructions on the SBP, i was just forwarded a retiree package and told to sign the forms and send them to the pay center. I agree, Congress needs to act. I am no lawyer and no nothing about the law but i am wondering if a class action lawsuit would force Congresses hand to fix these issues.
 
I never even received a retiree package. Just what was in your retiree paackage? I did contact a SFC from the Army who emailed me a copy of my orders that deleted my medical discharge orders and the new order placing me on PDRL. Oh yeah, and a 2656 to fill out with no clue of where to send it. I did fill it out while I was at work and did not have the wife sign it. So now, since she did not sign, I owe over $7k back to 2004. The kicker is that I don't even receive retiree pay....just VA check.
We all need to get together andfile a class action lawsuit. I am certain that there is lawyer somewhere that could help us.
 
Well, it has been confirmed that my DFAS account has been setup now! Waiting on something from DFAS to arrive in the mail. Justrluk have you had any luck with Tricare at all?? They are holding the line with only committing to one year of paying on any medical bills nothing more than that. I am interested to hear from you! Also, has anyone applied for CRSC and awarded it!!! Any new information on chapter 61 soldiers getting retirement? I have a few things here on this board but nothing more than that! And so far all those with less than 50% rating either through PDBR or branch of service get nothing!
 
I've seen a lot of people approved for CRSC. But the conditions are combat related. That means the disabilities were either incurred DURING combat and as a result of combat; incurred DURING an exercise simulating war as a result of that simulation; incurred as a result of exceptionally hazardous duty such as scuba diving or parachuting; or as a direct result of an instrumentality of war (an artillery shell crushing a foot). A condition is not combat related for CRSC purposes simply because it was incurred in a combat zone.
 
maparker said:
Below is an email I sent to my DoD/Congress/VSO contacts about this issue.

http://www.pebforum.com/site/threads/after-the-pdbr.10947/page-5

See the issue about SBP beginning with post 86 of the above thread. In short, those retired via the PDBR are being billed for SBP premiums backdated to the date of retirement. This does not seem right. Unless the spouse declines coverage, SBP should only be billed from the date the record was corrected by the Service. Why are they being billed to cover a risk that cannot possible occur - dying between the date of separation and the date the record was corrected via the PDBR. SBP also has a provision to drop out between the two and three year point post retirement. How are those retroactively retired via the PDBR or correction board given this option? How are those retroactively retired being properly briefed about SBP options?

Wounded warriors are being blindsided by this issue.


V/R,



Michael A. Parker
LTC, USA (Retired)
Wounded Warrior Advocate


If I had known that SBP premiums would be billed retroactively back to my corrected retirement date in 2006, I would have declined it. I sent my application for retired pay out a couple weeks ago, so it's disappointing to know that any back pay will be substantially reduced or non-existent. I thought I was doing a good thing for my family by signing up for SBP, but now I see that life insurance would have been a much better and much cheaper option.

Darin Pratt
SSG, USA (Retired)
Click to expand...
 
Ok, I am going to try and submit paperwork to Tricare for reimbursement. I would like to get back all of the money that we paid monthly over the last eight years just to have coverage. Does anyone have a POC for this?
Latest on my situation...
VA or DFAS is trying to recoup money from me again. I have already paid back the severance pay and they say that I owe the gross amount back. However, when I go back and look at what they kept....They collected $72,000 total. So, my calculations are that somebody owes me approximately $15,000 that was overpaid.
Help! Any suggestions on how to approach this? We (our family) saw no compensation from VA for over a 4 year period. Mike, any suggestions on how to approach this?
thanks
 
maparker said:
Below is an email I sent to my DoD/Congress/VSO contacts about this issue.

http://www.pebforum.com/site/threads/after-the-pdbr.10947/page-5

See the issue about SBP beginning with post 86 of the above thread. In short, those retired via the PDBR are being billed for SBP premiums backdated to the date of retirement. This does not seem right. Unless the spouse declines coverage, SBP should only be billed from the date the record was corrected by the Service. Why are they being billed to cover a risk that cannot possible occur - dying between the date of separation and the date the record was corrected via the PDBR. SBP also has a provision to drop out between the two and three year point post retirement. How are those retroactively retired via the PDBR or correction board given this option? How are those retroactively retired being properly briefed about SBP options?

Wounded warriors are being blindsided by this issue.


V/R,



Michael A. Parker
LTC, USA (Retired)
Wounded Warrior Advocate
Click to expand...

I can say from experience that this also happened to me when I got my record corrected through the BCNR (regularly released from active duty to put on the TDRL). In my decision they specifically declined waiving the retroactive SBP costs and I owed like $9500 when all was said and done. Originally DFAS charged me for spouse SBP coverage even though I am not married. I had to get this changed through another case at the BCNR to insurable interest for my sister. Another thing I am annoyed about is that spouse coverage is like 6.5% of base retired pay but insurable interest is 10%. This seems like an unfair tax on unmarried, childless SBP participants!!!
 
For the TRICARE recoupment, you'll need:
1. a bill/statement from each provider and organization (hospital, med stop, etc.)
2. the Explanations of Benefits (EOBs) from your insurance company for every service provided
3. the DOD TRICARE claim form
4. a copy of the package you received from the PDBR to include your letters, new DD-214 (and I copied my military retiree ID just for good measure).

So far, they've paid very little. They don't cover optical or dental unless you buy the TRICARE Prime and (I believe) pay the back-premiums. Also, I've had them send packages back because they say that any preferred provider must submit the claims for you. None of my providers have done this yet. They've sent records of accounts but that's it. Also, I had to threaten my insurance carrier with legal action to get them to send me the past 6 years of EOBs for me and my family members. I've spent days putting the documents together and a couple hundred in making copies of the packages only to have them denied. If your claim is within one year, though, TRICARE is pretty good about paying at least some small portion. Older than this, I've had to jump through hoops of fire to get any positive motion. At one point of frustration, I called the TRICARE customer service center. The woman was very helpful, and suggested sending in/working one claim at a time. Also, she told me to file a complete claim for each family member, for each provider. This meant that when I filed for my family doctor, I had to copy his statements 5 times (me, spouse and 3 kids) and include a complete package (1 - 4 above) for his services. Also, they won't remind you of this until it's too late: you have 180 days from your date of notification of retro TRICARE eligibility (the day you were notified of the official PDBR results) to file your claims. My approach was to file the "big rocks" (pharmacy, family provider, hospitals and surgeries) first. At least some of this could be worth the time and money to file. The other providers we only saw once or twice are on the back burner (for now).
 
Does anyone know if Tricare will reimburse monthly premiums paid to cover medical expenses?

Also, does anyone know who to contact in order to get my DD214?

Has anyone had any luck with retro retirement pay?

Thanks
 
I was unsuccessful in getting this to happen. You can request your DD-214 via the PBDR office (they'll have the first available copy) or by going to the VA web site and making the request. Also, DFAS won't work out any retro until they can reconcile with the VA if you owe/don't owe any debts. This takes at least 90 days (mine did; no retro either).
 
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