Need Some Advice!

[BCD]

Looking for a little help! I am AGR with 18 years and 1 month active and will have 20 total years in service in November. A couple weeks ago, I was informed about a MEB being done on me for low back pain, knee pain, and pulmonary embolism. I already have a permanent profile for the knee and the back. I am currently on Coumadin (blood thinner) and the doctors have yet to determine if I will be on it for life. I had the pulmonary embolism in Nov 2012 and will being seeing a hemotologist at the end of the month to possibly make a long term diagnosis. These are the only medical issues that I am being boarded for. My concern, is I am trying to do everything in my power to hit 20 active. Also Besides those 3 issues, I have a number of medical problems that will definitely be rated by VA (sleep apnea with cpap, insomnia, ptsd, depression, anxiety, plantar fascitis, tmj, sinusittis, many scars, eye surgery, skull fracture, carpal tunnel, etc.). I am wondering if I should let the process work itself with just the 3 conditions they referred me for, or should I come clean about all medical issue when I meet with the Peblo. I am very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active, but am extremely nervous about this whole situation.

Thanks for listening and hope someone will give me guidance.

 

[Warrior644]

Looking for a little help! I am AGR with 18 years and 1 month active and will have 20 total years in service in November. A couple weeks ago, I was informed about a MEB being done on me for low back pain, knee pain, and pulmonary embolism. I already have a permanent profile for the knee and the back. I am currently on Coumadin (blood thinner) and the doctors have yet to determine if I will be on it for life. I had the pulmonary embolism in Nov 2012 and will being seeing a hemotologist at the end of the month to possibly make a long term diagnosis. These are the only medical issues that I am being boarded for. My concern, is I am trying to do everything in my power to hit 20 active. Also Besides those 3 issues, I have a number of medical problems that will definitely be rated by VA (sleep apnea with cpap, insomnia, ptsd, depression, anxiety, plantar fascitis, tmj, sinusittis, many scars, eye surgery, skull fracture, carpal tunnel, etc.). I am wondering if I should let the process work itself with just the 3 conditions they referred me for, or should I come clean about all medical issue when I meet with the Peblo. I am very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active, but am extremely nervous about this whole situation.

Thanks for listening and hope someone will give me guidance.

Welcome to the PEB Forum!

After referral into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process by your military PCM who initiated a permanent physical profile with PULHES of 3 or 4 in any one category, the MTF who has approval authority for DoD IDES MEB referrals shall review the originally PCM-initiated permanent physical profile request.

Upon acceptance into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, during the MEB Phase is when all of your medical conditions are reviewed to determine which are "medically unacceptable" or "medically acceptable" conditions.

To that extent, the MEB physician is supposed to review all applicable medical condition(s) associated with a PULHES category of 3 or 4 in the AHLTA EMR database system, and then make an informed objective medical evidence determination to either maintain, down select, or upgrade the specific category code in the PULHES.

Upon approval by the DoD IDES MEB physician(s) at the MTF of the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile referral, the MEB physician shall either generate a new permanent physical profile with updated PULHES (most favorable course of action in my opinion) or transpose the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile with PULHES as written (least favorable course of action in my opinion).

In continuation of the DoD IDES process, a NARSUM is dictated after receipt of the DoVA C&P Examination results which outlines in detail all medically unacceptable and medically acceptable conditions. It's unknown what type of C&P Exam clinician you will get on the day(s) of the evaluation. In my opinion, some DoVA C&P Examination clinicians are good-to-go while others seem not to care about the military service member.

With that all said, by all means "come clean about all medical issue" when meeting with your PEBLO. In my opinion, there is "no harm, no foul" with informing your PEBLO about all of your medical condition concerns who in turn should relay those concerns to the NARSUM dictating MEB physician. But, I would strongly suggest that you voice your medical condition concerns directly to the MEB physician if he/she contacts you to obtain additional clarification about your DoD IDES MEB case file.

Since you are "very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active," it's just a friendly reminder to ensure that all of your medical conditions are annotated on VA applicable form(s) as DoVA claimed contentions/conditions during the initial meeting with the MSC which is after the initial meeting with your PEBLO.

As far as extending your AGR sevice to reach the golden 20 years of active duty military service, being a participant in the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process should at least yield an additional minimum 295 days as based upon the official published timeline. As feasibly possible, you should maximize your all of your opportunities to submit any appeals and rebuttals during the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, and with the current backlog of DoVA claims; you may have an opportunity to obtain your important goal.

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

Best Wishes!

 

[ceilingfan]

Looking for a little help! I am AGR with 18 years and 1 month active and will have 20 total years in service in November. A couple weeks ago, I was informed about a MEB being done on me for low back pain, knee pain, and pulmonary embolism. I already have a permanent profile for the knee and the back. I am currently on Coumadin (blood thinner) and the doctors have yet to determine if I will be on it for life. I had the pulmonary embolism in Nov 2012 and will being seeing a hemotologist at the end of the month to possibly make a long term diagnosis. These are the only medical issues that I am being boarded for. My concern, is I am trying to do everything in my power to hit 20 active. Also Besides those 3 issues, I have a number of medical problems that will definitely be rated by VA (sleep apnea with cpap, insomnia, ptsd, depression, anxiety, plantar fascitis, tmj, sinusittis, many scars, eye surgery, skull fracture, carpal tunnel, etc.). I am wondering if I should let the process work itself with just the 3 conditions they referred me for, or should I come clean about all medical issue when I meet with the Peblo. I am very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active, but am extremely nervous about this whole situation.

Thanks for listening and hope someone will give me guidance.

Why would you not claim all your conditions?

 

[BCD]

Why would you not claim all your conditions?

I am not sure if I should claim all of my conditions because I don't want to open up another can of worms, I guess. I really want to get to the 20 active because of the concurrent receipt ability from VA. I have the potential to make a lot more money that way.

 

[BCD]

Thanks for the input Warrior, really appreciate it.

Welcome to the PEB Forum!

After referral into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process by your military PCM who initiated a permanent physical profile with PULHES of 3 or 4 in any one category, the MTF who has approval authority for DoD IDES MEB referrals shall review the originally PCM-initiated permanent physical profile request.

Upon acceptance into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, during the MEB Phase is when all of your medical conditions are reviewed to determine which are "medically unacceptable" or "medically acceptable" conditions.

To that extent, the MEB physician is supposed to review all applicable medical condition(s) associated with a PULHES category of 3 or 4 in the AHLTA EMR database system, and then make an informed objective medical evidence determination to either maintain, down select, or upgrade the specific category code in the PULHES.

Upon approval by the DoD IDES MEB physician(s) at the MTF of the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile referral, the MEB physician shall either generate a new permanent physical profile with updated PULHES (most favorable course of action in my opinion) or transpose the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile with PULHES as written (least favorable course of action in my opinion).

In continuation of the DoD IDES process, a NARSUM is dictated after receipt of the DoVA C&P Examination results which outlines in detail all medically unacceptable and medically acceptable conditions. It's unknown what type of C&P Exam clinician you will get on the day(s) of the evaluation. In my opinion, some DoVA C&P Examination clinicians are good-to-go while others seem not to care about the military service member.

With that all said, by all means "come clean about all medical issue" when meeting with your PEBLO. In my opinion, there is "no harm, no foul" with informing your PEBLO about all of your medical condition concerns who in turn should relay those concerns to the NARSUM dictating MEB physician. But, I would strongly suggest that you voice your medical condition concerns directly to the MEB physician if he/she contacts you to obtain additional clarification about your DoD IDES MEB case file.

Since you are "very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active," it's just a friendly reminder to ensure that all of your medical conditions are annotated on VA applicable form(s) as DoVA claimed contentions/conditions during the initial meeting with the MSC which is after the initial meeting with your PEBLO.

As far as extending your AGR sevice to reach the golden 20 years of active duty military service, being a participant in the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process should at least yield an additional minimum 295 days as based upon the official published timeline. As feasibly possible, you should maximize your all of your opportunities to submit any appeals and rebuttals during the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, and with the current backlog of DoVA claims; you may have an opportunity to obtain your important goal.

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

Best Wishes!

 

[Jason Perry]

I am not sure if I should claim all of my conditions because I don't want to open up another can of worms, I guess. I really want to get to the 20 active because of the concurrent receipt ability from VA. I have the potential to make a lot more money that way.

If you are referred as "not meeting retention standards" (per, AR 40-501, I am assuming you are Army, here), then having at least one condition that falls under this rubric would mean you would go through MEB/PEB/IDES system...so, what is the possible benefit of holding back additional conditions? Only way this thought process makes sense to me is because of possibly fighting for a fit finding on your one (otherwise, and in absence of input from you on other conditions) condition that fails retention standards.

Bottom line, whatever you decide to do in regard to claiming conditions, I would try to stretch things out as long as possible to try to meet 20 years active federal service. It sounds like you are tracking the importance of this.

 

[ceilingfan]

I am not sure if I should claim all of my conditions because I don't want to open up another can of worms, I guess. I really want to get to the 20 active because of the concurrent receipt ability from VA. I have the potential to make a lot more money that way.

Gonna need to know what the type of worms are in this can if we are to give ya sound advice.

 

[Warrior644]

Welcome to the PEB Forum!

After referral into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process by your military PCM who initiated a permanent physical profile with PULHES of 3 or 4 in any one category, the MTF who has approval authority for DoD IDES MEB referrals shall review the originally PCM-initiated permanent physical profile request.

Upon acceptance into the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, during the MEB Phase is when all of your medical conditions are reviewed to determine which are "medically unacceptable" or "medically acceptable" conditions.

To that extent, the MEB physician is supposed to review all applicable medical condition(s) associated with a PULHES category of 3 or 4 in the AHLTA EMR database system, and then make an informed objective medical evidence determination to either maintain, down select, or upgrade the specific category code in the PULHES.

Upon approval by the DoD IDES MEB physician(s) at the MTF of the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile referral, the MEB physician shall either generate a new permanent physical profile with updated PULHES (most favorable course of action in my opinion) or transpose the PCM-initiated permanent physical profile with PULHES as written (least favorable course of action in my opinion).

In continuation of the DoD IDES process, a NARSUM is dictated after receipt of the DoVA C&P Examination results which outlines in detail all medically unacceptable and medically acceptable conditions. It's unknown what type of C&P Exam clinician you will get on the day(s) of the evaluation. In my opinion, some DoVA C&P Examination clinicians are good-to-go while others seem not to care about the military service member.

With that all said, by all means "come clean about all medical issue" when meeting with your PEBLO. In my opinion, there is "no harm, no foul" with informing your PEBLO about all of your medical condition concerns who in turn should relay those concerns to the NARSUM dictating MEB physician. But, I would strongly suggest that you voice your medical condition concerns directly to the MEB physician if he/she contacts you to obtain additional clarification about your DoD IDES MEB case file.

Since you are "very well versed with the process and the benefits of hitting the 20 active," it's just a friendly reminder to ensure that all of your medical conditions are annotated on VA applicable form(s) as DoVA claimed contentions/conditions during the initial meeting with the MSC which is after the initial meeting with your PEBLO.

As far as extending your AGR sevice to reach the golden 20 years of active duty military service, being a participant in the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process should at least yield an additional minimum 295 days as based upon the official published timeline. As feasibly possible, you should maximize your all of your opportunities to submit any appeals and rebuttals during the DoD IDES MEB/PEB process, and with the current backlog of DoVA claims; you may have an opportunity to obtain your important goal.

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

Best Wishes!

Thanks for the input Warrior, really appreciate it.

You are welcome!

To that extent, positive thinking yields positive results; therefore, continuing to be positively proactive shall give you the opportunity to obtain your goal of obtaining 20 years of active duty military service.

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

Best Wishes!

 

[BCD]

Gonna need to know what the type of worms are in this can if we are to give ya sound advice.

I mean the can of worms being some of my other conditions (that I listed in the first post) that have been diagnosed by civilian doctors (due to having tricare prime remote) and va doctors. I have alway been real hesitant to list the other issues on the pha.

 

[BCD]

If you are referred as "not meeting retention standards" (per, AR 40-501, I am assuming you are Army, here), then having at least one condition that falls under this rubric would mean you would go through MEB/PEB/IDES system...so, what is the possible benefit of holding back additional conditions? Only way this thought process makes sense to me is because of possibly fighting for a fit finding on your one (otherwise, and in absence of input from you on other conditions) condition that fails retention standards.

Bottom line, whatever you decide to do in regard to claiming conditions, I would try to stretch things out as long as possible to try to meet 20 years active federal service. It sounds like you are tracking the importance of this.

Jason,

Thanks for the response! I guess ultimately, I will fight possible unfit findings or do anything I need to in order to get my 20 active. If I had the 20 active now I would definitely disclose everything. I just dont want to get screwed. I am aware of possible COAD or COAR, but I also know it is not guaranteed. If they told me, hey you are unfit but we will allow you to obtain my 20 active, I would have no concerns. I am also very aggravated that I hit Sanctuary and come to find out it doesnt matter when it comes to MEB/PEB. It seems as though, personnel who meet Sanctuary should at least be given the opportunity to qualify for concurrent receipt of VA Benefits. I am just very nervous about the situation and fear the unknown.