TDRL re-eval and 100% P&T

J

Jumpmaster2015

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
I just got news via email that the Army wants to re evaluate me for TDRL; however, I was recently given 100% permanent and total by the VA. At what point do they decide if they are going to just go ahead and solely use my VA records to make a decision? I went through prolonged exposure in February, and to be honest rehashing the past by myself in a strange environment by myself does not seem smart for my condition.


Army conditions are:

Degenerative arthiritis of the lumbar spine/degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome 40% (which has gotten worse via MRI/Pain visits)

PTSD with TBI 70%
 
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Sometimes the service will do a records only review for their TDRL evals. Have you contacted them and asked them to review your recent VA records?
 
chaplaincharlie said:
Sometimes the service will do a records only review for their TDRL evals. Have you contacted them and asked them to review your recent VA records?
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Yes, I asked. He said they have access to everything on the VA side, and that is all he said so far. I just started talking to the PEBLO a couple days ago, so we are just starting everything.
 
Best wishes for a successful outcome!
 
Jumpmaster2015 said:
I just got news via email that the Army wants to re evaluate me for TDRL; however, I was recently given 100% permanent and total by the VA. At what point do they decide if they are going to just go ahead and solely use my VA records to make a decision? I went through prolonged exposure in February, and to be honest rehashing the past by myself in a strange environment by myself does not seem smart for my condition.

Army conditions are:

Degenerative arthiritis of the lumbar spine/degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome 40% (which has gotten worse via MRI/Pain visits)

PTSD with TBI 70%
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Indeed, congratulations on your recent award of an increased DoVA 100% P&T rating!

Hmm, we have similar unfitting Army conditions; I had PTSD at 50% and Herniated lumbar disc with subjective radiculopathy at 40% upon placement onto the TDRL. Only my PTSD at 50% was determined to be "permanent and unstable" when placed on TDRL. As such, the herniated lumbar disc with SR was determined to be "permanent and stable" at the conclusion of the DoD IDES process in 2014 calendar year; therefore, a future Army re-evaluation while on TDRL was not required. Ultimately, I received a DoD 100% rating for PTSD and placed on the PDRL a couple of months ago in the 2018 calendar year.

Per DoD regulations, the DoD LDES PEB is required to perform TDRL re-evaluations and a TDRL medical re-examination needs to be completed for each PEB-referred "unfit for duty" medical condition determined to be "permanent and unstable" at the time of placement onto the TDRL. Note that the "permanent and stable" condition will show up on the TDRL DA Form 199. In my particular situation, it read "Thus, the VASRD DC and percentages are applied and taken from the DA Form 199 placing the Officer on the TDRL."

To that extent via my own experiences while previously on TDRL, the USAPDA TDRL Branch has the authority to decide if any DoVA C&P examination can be used in lieu of an Army-provided/generated medical re-examination of the "permanent and unstable" PEB-referred "unfit for duty" medical condition(s). If the DoVA C&P examination meets the specific Army requirements for a TDRL medical re-examination then all available medical documents are forwarded to the LDES PEB for a TDRL re-evaluation. If not and dependent upon your state of home residency, your TDRL file would be forwarded to either a civilian medical contractor (i.e., IWA, LLC or DLH Solutions, Inc.) or to a designated Military Treatment Facility (MTF) for the scheduling and performance of a TDRL medical re-examination.

Hmm, did you have a recent C&P examination for your "PTSD with TBI" medical condition by the DoVA VBA? As in recent, I mean within the past 1 to 3 months? If yes, then it would seem that the USAPDA TDRL Branch may approve the use of the recent DoVA C&P examination and forward your TDRL file to the LDES PEB for a TDRL re-evaluation. As such, this course of action was used during my first TDRL re-evaluation for PTSD back in the 2015 calendar year. My DoVA C&P examination for PTSD resulted in verbiage warranting a DoVA 70% rating albeit the DoVA Rating Agency awarded a DoVA 100% rating for my PTSD condition. Unfortunately, the Army LDES PEB recommended a DoD 70% rating instead of a DoD 100% rating for my PTSD condition. I disagreed with the LDES PEB's recommendation and requested a FPEB hearing but it was unsuccessful and I was continued on the TDRL for another 12 months.

In my experienced opinion, if you have a "recent" C&P examination for your "PTSD with TBI" condition from the DoVA VBA and you were either awarded a "P&T" rating or your "PTSD with TBI" condition was considered to be a "permanent disability" by the DoVA Rating Agency, then your opportunities to receive a PDRL finding seems highly favorable (if the USAPDA TDRL Branch accepts the DoVA C&P examination for your "PTSD with TBI" condition in lieu of an Army-provided/generated medical re-examination).

Nonetheless, I hope that you receive a favorable decision from the Informal PEB Proceedings upon the conclusion of your first TDRL re-evaluation. Take care!

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

Best Wishes!
 
Well after going through the meltdown of the holiday season vacation schedules (lol), my PEBLO and I finally came up with a plan.

They do not even want to fly me into Ft Leonard Wood for an appointment if there is no need to (complete waste of resources for a 2 hour appointment per PEBLO), so I received a memo from my provider stating it is going to provide undue mental hardship to fly me out to a new environment, to rehash everything with yet another new provider (based on past interventions/treatment, this is accurate). The last 18 months since exiting the military have not gone well regarding my condition, I definitely miss the security and brotherhood the military once provided.

We will perform a telephone NARSUM while I am here in Minnesota, so if anyone knows what I can expect during these that would be great.

I will let you all know how the ratings process goes. But, it isn't even about the ratings at this point, I just want the poking and prodding to be over and to be left the hell alone; however, it feels pretty laid back at this point.
 
Hello all, long time away from this forum but I'm glad to see that it is still running well. I am posting to this specific topic because it is pretty spot on to my situation. I was placed on TDRL for PTSD @ 70% in March of 2017. Had an 18 month re-eval by the VA and was rated 100% P&T. I called TDRL to ask if they could use the VA eval for my TDRL evaluation was told that they would push my packet up. Fast forward to now, 21 Jan 2019, I still haven't heard anything back. My fear is two fold; I do not want to have to fly back to JBLM for a one day appointment, and I do not want to get lost in the PDRL system and end up being dropped.

Any insight at all into what steps I could take to at least track where my TDRL packet is at?
 
D_street1030 said:
Hello all, long time away from this forum but I'm glad to see that it is still running well. I am posting to this specific topic because it is pretty spot on to my situation. I was placed on TDRL for PTSD @ 70% in March of 2017. Had an 18 month re-eval by the VA and was rated 100% P&T. I called TDRL to ask if they could use the VA eval for my TDRL evaluation was told that they would push my packet up. Fast forward to now, 21 Jan 2019, I still haven't heard anything back. My fear is two fold; I do not want to have to fly back to JBLM for a one day appointment, and I do not want to get lost in the PDRL system and end up being dropped.

Any insight at all into what steps I could take to at least track where my TDRL packet is at?
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My advice is to do what I did. Tell your PEBLO your concerns, and if there is a need to not fly you then they might keep you at home. I just had my telephone NARSUM appt today. I don't know what the criteria is for selecting people for TDRL reexams though. I have friends who got a MEB a year before I did, and still have not been called up yet.
 
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Well I had the telephone NARSUM today, and it was intense. I am glad I did not fly out. My initial appointment for my NARSUM/PEB back in 2017 felt like 30 minutes, and was completely led by the physician. The C&P follow up that I had this summer for PTSD was pretty much the same (In and out. How are things going? Oh the same and worse in some areas? Ok, here's your 100% perm and total)

I talked with the physician on the phone today for two hours about every aspect under the sun of how PTSD impacts my life. I felt like she not only took her job seriously, but that she was concerned about me as well. She told me at the end that I will have to review the NARSUM for errors, but that she is recommending PDRL. Will follow up again later.
 
Jumpmaster2015 said:
Well I had the telephone NARSUM today, and it was intense. I am glad I did not fly out. My initial appointment for my NARSUM/PEB back in 2017 felt like 30 minutes, and was completely led by the physician. The C&P follow up that I had this summer for PTSD was pretty much the same (In and out. How are things going? Oh the same and worse in some areas? Ok, here's your 100% perm and total)

I talked with the physician on the phone today for two hours about every aspect under the sun of how PTSD impacts my life. I felt like she not only took her job seriously, but that she was concerned about me as well. She told me at the end that I will have to review the NARSUM for errors, but that she is recommending PDRL. Will follow up again later.
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That's wonderful news! Hopefully what she recommends ends up being their final decision - one less thing to worry about. If you are updated to PDRL, does that mean you'll in turn be P&T? If not, how does THAT work? Any insight from those with more intel?
 
CaliGrl03 said:
That's wonderful news! Hopefully what she recommends ends up being their final decision - one less thing to worry about. If you are updated to PDRL, does that mean you'll in turn be P&T? If not, how does THAT work? Any insight from those with more intel?
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I received P&T first, and then TDRL re evaluation.
 
So got my DA 199. I will be placed on the permanent retired list for both conditions. 70% PTSD which I am not surprised about.

But my back was lowered from 40% to 10% because I dropped out of physical therapy. After 5 years of their BS stretches that obviously do not work, I opted to go with Chiro only. I have proof of making it to my chiro appointments. I have two MRIs since being discharged, both of which have never been mentioned during this process. They also held it against me that I do not want a spinal fusion at 35 years old. Multiple visits to the pain clinic with symptoms were also addressed since my discharge.

Apparently making it to those PT appointments would have cured my above listed back condition lmao?

I even challenged the nurse practioner who wrote my NARSUM, proved to her that I have made it to multiple appointments since discharge for my back, and it made no difference on the DA 199. I told her my baseline pain is 6/10, but she wrote the wrong numbers down, and my PEBLO said I need to go to legal if I want that resolved.

Is this percent change on the DA 199 worth appealing for another possibly 10%?
 
Just wanted to touch base with everyone on this forum. I received me re-eval e-mail yesterday but haven't been contacted by me PEBLO yet. I do plan on doing the same thing that @Jumpmaster2015 did and request everything be done over the phone because I don't want to travel. I am 100% P&T after my VA appointment from Nov of 2017. I will update once I talk to my PEBLO but my question in terms of TDRL is if 30% is still the "Magic Number" or if I need to fight for more? When I started this entire process I was told 30% was the magic number and I'm curious if it's still the same for TDRL or if somethings changed.
 
D_street1030 said:
Just wanted to touch base with everyone on this forum. I received me re-eval e-mail yesterday but haven't been contacted by me PEBLO yet. I do plan on doing the same thing that @Jumpmaster2015 did and request everything be done over the phone because I don't want to travel. I am 100% P&T after my VA appointment from Nov of 2017. I will update once I talk to my PEBLO but my question in terms of TDRL is if 30% is still the "Magic Number" or if I need to fight for more? When I started this entire process I was told 30% was the magic number and I'm curious if it's still the same for TDRL or if somethings changed.
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Bottom line is upon completion of the DoD military TDRL re-evaluation process, the DoD LDES PEB findings will result in one of the following outcomes:
  • You will be found fit for duty (and given the opportunity to return to military service if desired & meet the re-entry qualifications/criteria unless you were pending non-disability separation when placed on the TDRL)
  • You will be separated with severance pay (if your disability rating is decreased to less than 30% and you do not have 20 years of military service)
  • You will be permanently retired (and placed on the PDRL)
  • You will be retained on the TDRL and re-evaluated again within 18 months or prior to reaching the TDRL maximum tenure limitation (3-years or 5-years; whichever is applicable)
Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer!"

Best Wishes!
 
Just go to the appt. They threw it in my face on my back portion that my physician gave me memo to stay home due to mental health concerns because they could not obtain a ROM. They gave me 2 days to somehow get into my local VA to have a ROM performed by my chiro (yeah, right).

Whatever, glad to be on PDRL and done with the bean counters BS.
 
D_street1030 said:
I do plan on doing the same thing that @Jumpmaster2015 did and request everything be done over the phone because I don't want to travel.
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Just go to the apt. They threw it in my face on my back portion that my BH physician gave me a memo to stay home due to mental health concerns, because they could not obtain a ROM in person. They gave me 2 days to somehow get into my local VA to have a ROM performed by my chiro (yeah, right, let me just make that happen). Without getting into more detail on my NARSUM/199, they are looking for any reason to decrease benefits on TDRL reviews, from the VA physicians entering notes to the MEB docs writing NARSUMS.

Don't set yourself up for a reason.
 
D_street1030 said:
Thanks for your help sir, greatly appreciated.
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Indeed, you are quite welcome! Take care!

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

Best Wishes!
 
Jumpmaster2015 said:
Just go to the apt. They threw it in my face on my back portion that my BH physician gave me a memo to stay home due to mental health concerns, because they could not obtain a ROM in person. They gave me 2 days to somehow get into my local VA to have a ROM performed by my chiro (yeah, right, let me just make that happen). Without getting into more detail on my NARSUM/199, they are looking for any reason to decrease benefits on TDRL reviews, from the VA physicians entering notes to the MEB docs writing NARSUMS.

Don't set yourself up for a reason.
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My only unfitting condition was PTSD/TBI. I shouldn't need a ROM test for anything on my review. Do you still think it's something I should mention, not wanting to travel?
 
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