Retiring Soon

[Super Ron]

I am retiring soon after 21 years and would like to know what to expect from the VA as far as the process goes. I know there is know telling what I will get, but I have issues that have been routinely addressed.

Here are the chronic issues I put up with on a daily basis that have not been resolved:

Since 1994 I have had testicular pain on a daily basis following a vasectomy. I have tried anti-inflammatories, Neurotin, cord blocks and even a vasectomy reversal with no luck.

Since 2002 I have had back pain since moving some furniture. This is also aggrivated by arthritis between L5 and S1. I have again done the anti inflammtories, tens unit, chiropactor, and physical therapy. I am going today for a traction appointment for the first time.

For years, I have suffered with bilateral knee pain. They tried to do a lateral release on my left knee and left in in worse condition than it was before. I refuse to let them do the other for fear I will not be able to walk with out a cane. Most days I were knee braces. If I didn't I would not be able to walk up the stairs to go to bed by the end of the day.

3 years ago, I had a pop in my elbow. Every since I have pain and burning in my shoulder. The orthepedic surgeon has given me steroid shots in my shoulder but says the elbow was a coincidence. He has never even looked to see if there was anything wrong with the shoulder. The diagnosis is an impingement in the shoulder. Corrective action is surgery but again with the way my left knee was messed up I am scared to let them touch my shoulder.

For the last 2 years I have had migraines. It started as dizzy spells followed by headaches. Took them over a year to figure out they were migraines. I am on Topamax for this but hope to be weened off here within the next couple months.

After years of living in this chronic pain on a daily basis, I have been taken off of flying status. And have finally been given a referal to a pain management clinic off base.

If things go my way, I will be receiving a job offer this week and dropping my retirement paperwork. If not, I will be automatically MEB'ed in July. If the MEB happens, I want to wait until Nov 08 to retire to I can go to school. But at this point, I don't even know if I can go to school with the daily pain and the topamax affecting my concentration.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Just wanting to know what I can expect for the process.

Ron

[Boats]

Ron,

Put in for evrey lttle thing you went to medical for. I wish that some of the stuff like lower back, gerd, sinus, carpal tunnel even though in service medical record it has been 9 years since I retired now I am fighting some 19 year old RO that says he cannot service connect them. Just claim it however small you think it may be will save you a lot of problems down the road. The key one I did get though when I first filed was for blood pressure, this one even if 0 is key to alot of other ones.

Boats

[Former Member]

This sites gives an overall of the MEB process-

http://www.drum.amedd.army.mil/MEB/meb_explained.htm

Unfortunately -this is Army site and I heard the Army is lowballing on the MEB ratings-

You might get a disability rating -that doesnt involve an offset-hard to say from your post-if you even do get MEBbed out-

I suggest you begin the VA claims process now- by filing a 21-526-is there anyone on base handling VA claims for service personnel who are soon to be discharged?

Also you might want to thoroughly check out CRDP and CRSC to see how your military retirment will affect any VA comp you get-

CRDP and CRSC -I posted much here and it can be found discussed here under the hadit search feature.

Also- MEB- lots of info out their and sites that explain-

Military.com has some good info on this I am sure-

Ron -make sure you dont leave without copy of your SMRs and also the discharge certificate and make sure all of your conditions are well documented.

When my daughter was being processed out , they had a briefing on VA benefits by the American Legion-

As a daughter of 2 disabled vets herself she said she really wanted to laugh at how the VA claims process was described- but then again- she might still be in the military still sitting at that briefing that she got 2 years ago- if they really told how the VA really was-it can be a long and frustrating process-

They did stress to have your SMRs and to file a VA claim ASAP if there was anything at all that should be service connected.

A claim filed withon one year of discharge date-when it succeeds generates retro back to the day after discharge.

You will have retirement pay that this could be offset to- thus the CRDP/CRSC stuff is important for you to know.

I think she said there were some lifers there too- at the out process class-

Have you had this opportunity yet while still in -but soon to possibly out process?

The VA guy also my daughter said, was very good, and did bring up good points as well as the AL guy-regarding VA claims-

they were going to charge them 5 bucks for the Federal Benefits book on VA benefits-

then they gave them out for free-

dont pay for it- it is the least they can do-to give it to you.

The nitty gritty is here at hadit- the booklet gives very limited info.

They should pay vets 5 bucks to read it.

[huskerfanfl]

Based on the information that I have hear, and Berta mentioned, if you can avoid the MEB process, do so. There are also flaky things that could happen with military retirement that would be totally avoided if you had a regular retirement. File for everything that you were ever seen for, no matter how small and insignificant that it seems, the worst that will happen is that it will be denied (and you can appeal that). That is what I did when i retired after 26 years, and each time I go to the VA clinic, they comment about how amazed they are at the number of things for which I receive compensation yet am only at 50%. That was after the first go around, and am now in phase II, applying for increases in compensation. The key is that you need to get the VA to acknowledge that you do have something wrong no matter how insignificant it is now.

Edited May 3, 2007 by huskerfanfl (see edit history)

[cowgirl]

Best thing I did before retiring was borrow and copy my medical records myself. Worst thing I did before retiring was accept a "paperwork" medical physical review without rebuttal in writing.God Bless, cg

[betrayed]

File for everything that you were ever seen for, no matter how small and insignificant that it seems, the worst that will happen is that it will be denied (and you can appeal that). That is what I did when i retired after 26 years, and each time I go to the VA clinic, they comment about how amazed they are at the number of things for which I receive compensation yet am only at 50%. That was after the first go around, and am now in phase II, applying for increases in compensation. The key is that you need to get the VA to acknowledge that you do have something wrong no matter how insignificant it is now.

I agree, I did the same after 28 years, get your medical record go through it with a fine tooth comb, make a list. When you do your retirement physical list all of them. File immdiatley upon retirement or do it know, there is a way to file a claim but its like informal, which establishes a date and then you file the specifics later. I forget what it is called when you do it this way. I can not tell you how important it is to establish that date.

[free_spirit_etc]

I agree. Though I have trouble understanding the difference between conditions that are denied service connection because there is no "current disability" and conditions that are granted service connection - but given 0% -- any conditions that are given the service connection - even at 0% are preferred.

If the condition is given an SC at 0% - and becomes worse -then you only have to fight the battle to increase the rating (but SC has been established) If the condition is not given SC -- because they don't find it disabling - then if it becomes worse -- they will acknowledge the disbility --but it is hard to get it service connected.

Free

I agree, I did the same after 28 years, get your medical record go through it with a fine tooth comb, make a list. When you do your retirement physical list all of them. File immdiatley upon retirement or do it know, there is a way to file a claim but its like informal, which establishes a date and then you file the specifics later. I forget what it is called when you do it this way. I can not tell you how important it is to establish that date.

[Ricky]

Physical, physical, physical - MAKE SURE ALL ITEMS ARE DISCUSSED AND LISTED BY THE DOCTOR. Don't settle for the check the block entries on page one. Your must insure the doctor comments on all issues. If it is back pain make sure he says back pain present - due to jumping from truck etc..........make him list your symptoms as a result of the back pain. If you need treatment due to limited motion or other disabiltiy MAKE THEM SEND YOU FOR IT. If the retirement doc doing the physical won't do it DEMAND that it be done by your primary care doc BEFORE being released from active duty!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEMAND that any and all test - MRI, Xray etc.... be done before being released!!!!!!! Blood pressure reading be a little high before - DEMAND a recheck and treatment. Same with blood sugars. Don't let them get a way with "ole it looks like (yep I am sure it does)pre-DMII. Let the VA monitor it"... No - HELL NO doc you make a determination and treat it now.

[free_spirit_etc]

And don't forget the dental. You are supposed to be able to get all your dental work done prior to discharge --OR if you haven't had your dental work doen within 90 days of your discharge --you are supposed to get ONE time treatment for any dental conditions when you leave the service.

My husband filed to get hsi dental treatment when he retired -- and they spent years boucing it back and forth between the RO and BVA -- trying to determine if he had any conditions for compensation --- and though he kept writing to them that he wasn't asking for compensation - he was just asking for his TREATMENT -- he was never given that.

Free

[betrayed]

I am retiring soon after 21

Ron

how soon

[Super Ron]

How soon depends on a job offer. I have been waiting for a offer for 2 months. The company has the opening and has narrowed the position down from 15 people who interviewed to three of us. I think they already had their minds made up who they were going to hire until I applied. I gave them something to consider. If offered the position, I will be on terminal in October with a retirement date of 1 Jan.

Ron

[betrayed]

How soon depends on a job offer. I have been waiting for a offer for 2 months. The company has the opening and has narrowed the position down from 15 people who interviewed to three of us. I think they already had their minds made up who they were going to hire until I applied. I gave them something to consider. If offered the position, I will be on terminal in October with a retirement date of 1 Jan.

Ron

So your date is Jan 1st, and you can start terminal when you want depending on how much leave you have saved?

The claim I was talking about earlier is called a informal claim, a informal claim establishes and protects a date while you gather evidence and necessary documents.

38 CFR 3.155

§ 3.155 Informal claims.

top

(a) Any communication or action, indicating an intent to apply for one or more benefits under the laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, from a claimant, his or her duly authorized representative, a Member of Congress, or some person acting as next friend of a claimant who is not sui juris may be considered an informal claim. Such informal claim must identify the benefit sought. Upon receipt of an informal claim, if a formal claim has not been filed, an application form will be forwarded to the claimant for execution. If received within 1 year from the date it was sent to the claimant, it will be considered filed as of the date of receipt of the informal claim.

(;) A communication received from a service organization, an attorney, or agent may not be accepted as an informal claim if a power of attorney was not executed at the time the communication was written.

© When a claim has been filed which meets the requirements of §3.151 or §3.152, an informal request for increase or reopening will be accepted as a claim.

I would buy this book, I sure wish I had it before I retired. I bought mine through amazon.com

The veterans survival guide

How to file and collect on VA Claims

by John D Roche

[free_spirit_etc]

Get copies of EVERYTHING!!! And keep asking for more copies! Keep saying - Now is this EVERYTHING??

They seem to have standards of what they give to people who ask for things - and those standards are NOT everything.

When my husband asked for his post service medical records - he got what he THOUGHT was everything. It seemed simple to him. "I want copies of all my medical records."

But the documentation was very brief -- mostly those little computerized print outs of just very basic info.

Since we were dealing with the VA -- I was completely frustrated. They say it has to be documented in your medical records -- but then they don't document hardly ANYTHING.

I was especially appalled at how a surgery and hospitalization was reduced to 3 or 4 lines in his medical records..

You had SURGERY --and they have reduced it to a FEW LINES in your medical records..

So he went out to base and said "What is this crap??"

Then they said -- Oh Theses are your MEDICAL RECORDS -- The doctors have their OWN records on you - etc. If you want THOSE - you have to ASK for them.

So he had to SPECIFICALLY ask for DOCTORS RECORDS, etc. in order to get them.

The doctors records had A LOT of information in them that was IMPORTANT to his case that was not included in his medical records (Such as the oncologist report stating he was exposed to asbestos while working as an electrician in the Air Force -- and the pulmonologist report documenting asbestos exposure - increased risk of cancer - and onset time.)

You would assume when you ask for your records --that is what you are getting -- but you are only getting PART of your records --You have to specifically ask for OTHER records that are NOT included when they give you "ALL" your records.

I have a student who works at the National Records Center. She said they do kind of the same thing. When someone asks for their records -- there is a standard of records they send them - but others they don't unless they SPECIFICALLY ask for THAT record.

Like she says if you want records from hospitalizations - you have to request those specically -- and tell them WHEN and WHERE you were in the hospital.

She also said people don't realize that the military PURGES your records BEFORE sending them to the National Records Center. That most people's records are only about 1 or 1 1/2 inches thick. She said they get requests from people asking the Records Center to NOT destroy their records. She says the record center does NOT do that - but the records are purged BEFORE they get them. So people assume that EVERYTHING will be in their record -- and they ask for specific thing s- but those things are no longer in their record.

So get COPIES of EVERYTHING -- and then EVERYTHING ELSE -BEFORE they are destroyed. You never know WHAT might be important later.

My husband has some copies of work reports - assessments etc.

They are now helpful -- because some of those match up with the Asbestos Report we got from the Base.

So we have documentation that he installed the wiring for computer systems in xyz building -- and an Asbestos Abatement report that shows that xyz building had significant asbestos problems.

Free

[Yong]

Ron,

Go to the retirement briefing. You can start 2 years out from the date you want to retire. At my retirement briefing at 25th ID, DAV Rep was there and had explained that service member can file for claims 90-180 days before actual retirement date. This process is call Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD). I had file my claims in Nov 06 through Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and yesterday I got a letter from DAV saying VA has assigned 40 percent.

So, You can file claim 6 months before your retirement date.

You can also have DAV or other representative organization to look at your service medical record at anytime. I had made copy of my medical record soon as I dropped the retirement paper work. Month later, I had DAV look at my medical record and they came out with 12 conditions that I should file for.

Yong