A Quick Update Since My MEB Was Finalized
The Waiting for Disability Results
I'm just giving an update to my last blog, which I gave a brief rundown of the meb process and what to expect while you were waiting to get it. Which can be viewed here
I had been released from the Army with a Severance Pay on April 29, 2012, and was given 80% disability through the Department of Veteran's Affairs, or the VA as it's easiest to call. June 1 I decided to call the VA to find my status of my disability, since I haven't received a letter verifying my amount. (I had my appointments already going on, but not much money coming in so I was starting to get worried on how bills were going to be getting paid soon)
I was told on the phone that it was being processed and needed to go through another board to verify my amount of disability was correct, and make sure there were no mistakes in the paperwork. I was given an estimated time of 45 days for the board to be processed, and another 30 days or more after before everything would be finalized and I'd be receiving my checks. That was going to be September or October timeframe before I was going to be getting any money from the VA, so obviously I was starting to worry since that would be a majority of money that I could have coming in. (Hasn't exactly been the easiest to find a job right now, with my limited amount of work that I can perform)
Now the one thing you will always want to do is keep in contact, no matter what they tell you and how long they say it can take you want to keep in contact at least every 2 to 3 weeks is what I would say; so you can give them time to get the results, but not enough time to sit around and forget about you. So I called again after about July 2, 2012, and I was told they had came to a conclusion on my disability and they were going to be sending out the results by packet through the mail. (Remember how I said they told me September or October at a minimum before I would have my results, and July 2 just over a month later and they were sending me out the results. That's why I say it is best to always keep in touch and call just to make sure your paperwork is going through.
Disability Percentage
The packet takes about 12 days to get to the house. For my packet it was about maybe 30 pages or so with a run through of the percentage, and how they came out with the individual percentages for each individual problem, and what the total sum of the disability was. So all together I came out to an 80 percent disability rating, which is the rating I received by the VA before I was medically discharged from the military. So even though nothing changed, the process still had to be done with going through the entire board again, just like everything that happened while I was in the service.
So if nobody explain that to you, just know there will be a waiting period once you're out (at least most of the time), to determine the disability rating whether it was all done right, and whether they will make any changes to the rating (bringing the percentage up or down)
Going on with life after the Army
This is going to be an individual thing, for me I wasn't that connect through the Army as I used to be. Find it to be too political, and too much scrutiny for what I had seen, so when it was my time to go I honestly didn't have any problems with it. The only problem becomes trying to find out what you're able to do once you've rode off into that preverbial sunset from the military.
Use you're benefits - I won't be able to emphasize that enough. You gave yourself to the military, and there is nothing wrong with using the Montgomerey GI Bill, or anything else whether it be a business or the VA home loan guarantee, and use it to your advantage. Just make the best out of whatever you decide to do after.
Don't rely on the VA to cover everything, because any disabilities you receive with a VA raing (even at 0%) will always be covered through the VA, at least for the veteran. As for the spouse or any family members you will need to look at alternative forms of health care once Tricare expires. Surviving spouses of soldiers can get VA Health Care, but with a disabled veteran that is pretty unlikely that VA health care would be offered for the family (Depending on you're circumstances will be when that is. I got out on April 29, 2012, but Tricare for myself extended for six months past to give us time to find alternative health care for my family) But as I said it may not always be the same
The Waiting for Disability Results
I'm just giving an update to my last blog, which I gave a brief rundown of the meb process and what to expect while you were waiting to get it. Which can be viewed here
I had been released from the Army with a Severance Pay on April 29, 2012, and was given 80% disability through the Department of Veteran's Affairs, or the VA as it's easiest to call. June 1 I decided to call the VA to find my status of my disability, since I haven't received a letter verifying my amount. (I had my appointments already going on, but not much money coming in so I was starting to get worried on how bills were going to be getting paid soon)
I was told on the phone that it was being processed and needed to go through another board to verify my amount of disability was correct, and make sure there were no mistakes in the paperwork. I was given an estimated time of 45 days for the board to be processed, and another 30 days or more after before everything would be finalized and I'd be receiving my checks. That was going to be September or October timeframe before I was going to be getting any money from the VA, so obviously I was starting to worry since that would be a majority of money that I could have coming in. (Hasn't exactly been the easiest to find a job right now, with my limited amount of work that I can perform)
Now the one thing you will always want to do is keep in contact, no matter what they tell you and how long they say it can take you want to keep in contact at least every 2 to 3 weeks is what I would say; so you can give them time to get the results, but not enough time to sit around and forget about you. So I called again after about July 2, 2012, and I was told they had came to a conclusion on my disability and they were going to be sending out the results by packet through the mail. (Remember how I said they told me September or October at a minimum before I would have my results, and July 2 just over a month later and they were sending me out the results. That's why I say it is best to always keep in touch and call just to make sure your paperwork is going through.
Disability Percentage
The packet takes about 12 days to get to the house. For my packet it was about maybe 30 pages or so with a run through of the percentage, and how they came out with the individual percentages for each individual problem, and what the total sum of the disability was. So all together I came out to an 80 percent disability rating, which is the rating I received by the VA before I was medically discharged from the military. So even though nothing changed, the process still had to be done with going through the entire board again, just like everything that happened while I was in the service.
So if nobody explain that to you, just know there will be a waiting period once you're out (at least most of the time), to determine the disability rating whether it was all done right, and whether they will make any changes to the rating (bringing the percentage up or down)
Going on with life after the Army
This is going to be an individual thing, for me I wasn't that connect through the Army as I used to be. Find it to be too political, and too much scrutiny for what I had seen, so when it was my time to go I honestly didn't have any problems with it. The only problem becomes trying to find out what you're able to do once you've rode off into that preverbial sunset from the military.
Use you're benefits - I won't be able to emphasize that enough. You gave yourself to the military, and there is nothing wrong with using the Montgomerey GI Bill, or anything else whether it be a business or the VA home loan guarantee, and use it to your advantage. Just make the best out of whatever you decide to do after.
Don't rely on the VA to cover everything, because any disabilities you receive with a VA raing (even at 0%) will always be covered through the VA, at least for the veteran. As for the spouse or any family members you will need to look at alternative forms of health care once Tricare expires. Surviving spouses of soldiers can get VA Health Care, but with a disabled veteran that is pretty unlikely that VA health care would be offered for the family (Depending on you're circumstances will be when that is. I got out on April 29, 2012, but Tricare for myself extended for six months past to give us time to find alternative health care for my family) But as I said it may not always be the same
I have a few question I would like to ask you about the meb process and would like to get in touch with you if all possible I had back surgery L4 L5 spinal fusion due to a 18 wheeler hit my truck in Iraq and I also have a few things else to go with it and was wondering how it all work since you have already been through it and I don't know that much about it I just don't wont to get screw over from anything thanks
ReplyDeleteWhat was the reulrt of your meb I'm going through the same thing now. Getting a fusion tomorrow
Deletei have a few question I would like to ask you about the meb process and would like to get in touch with you if all possible I had back surgery L4 L5 spinal fusion due to a 18 wheeler hit my truck in Iraq and I also have a few things else to go with it and was wondering how it all work since you have already been through it and I don't know that much about it I just don't wont to get screw over from anything thanks
ReplyDeleteHoly crap its Stanton. Who would of thought one of the top results on a Google search would have been by you!
ReplyDeleteWhat was your rank and how much was your severance pay? The severance pay was that 20% correct?
ReplyDelete