Fellow veterans that endured an MEB/PEB and were found fit

Yes, reclaim all- and have a third party (lots of them out there, let me know if you want some pointers- but give me to tomorrow AM l). Put it all in your claim/records, even if they give you 0% it’s there later in life if things become an issue again

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even if they give you 0% it’s there later in life if things become an issue again

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Everything should be claimed and evaluated by the docs they send you to for validating the claim.

If there is specialist or off-base paperwork for any of your ailments, make sure they are included.

Bring a list or business cards for every doctor for those claims as well. It's a lot to remember when you get to the retirement point, but treat it like a research project, because the VA certainly does.

When I had my retirement physical, the PA that did it was holding back a grin when she said, “COL Butch, you are no longer medically qualified for military service” …. Did BDD and started out at 40%….knowing what I know now, would have immediately appealed my feet with the two other things I appealed…that would have started me out at 50….

I’m now at 70 and one 10% rating from 80, had a young contract doc examine me Saturday and he put all sorts of stuff on my PACT act claim….by the time I’m done with this claim cycle I should be at 100 with my feet and the stroke I just had….

It sure seems that vets use these “claims” just like people that abuse welfare and food stamps. Look I’m a afghan vet, so I know it’s tough on some of us, but these claims of needing a hearing aid because your 50, or whatever it is, is called normal wear and tear on most of you. People who worked as librarians their whole lives need hearing aids, do they get to keep claiming it’s the library’s until they finally get what they want: You are draining and backlogging the VA with these claims which slows the process for those vets who truly need it.

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It sure seems that vets use these “claims” just like people that abuse welfare and food stamps

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Yep! I’m retired military and I follow one of the Facebook groups for veterans. It pisses me off when I see people constantly asking, “how can I get to 100%?” And “what are easy things to claim that can’t be proven wrong?” People are finding ways to abuse the system and it slows down claims for others because the VA is inundated with this shite.

Gout Butch. It’s 10% and not “provable”

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It sure seems that vets use these “claims” just like...

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You are draining and backlogging the VA with these claims...

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These claims are from verified medical visits during your career and associated with deployment conditions and work related injuries. Flight medicine is even more diligent in documenting your conditions as it could impact aircraft operations.

These aren't just claims at the time of retirement. Those claims are regularly rejected. I've seen plenty of retired people the generation above me eschew the idea of making a claim for their injuries while relatively young, only to have to jump through hoops later to be seen for those conditions which meaningfully impact their daily lives.

Any claims should be made when you get out, so even with a 0% rating at that point, you have been validated for any complications in the future. My grandfather was deaf as shite from ww2 and did not have these services available. He is exactly why we the ability to make claims and have them validated as service related.

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That's not how the math works.

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I took it to mean that he’s currently at 73 or 74%, which puts him at 70% overall. He needs an additional 10% rating to put him at 75-76%, which puts him at 80% overall due to rounding.

Yeah, probably. I was just a little put off by what i took as insinuations about gaming the system and responded without a lot of thought. Probably unfairly.

Not sure if you’re ignorant to MEBs or you’re misunderstanding, but as I stated I was found fit, thankfully… after fighting it all the way to the SecAF.

To give better info, the MEB lasted from my 17 to my 19 year marks. I had to fully go through the IDES program (not a choice) where the VA found me 90% disabled due to rheumatoid arthritis.

What I’m trying to figure out is, I’ve already been evaluated for those joints, now that I’m officially retiring, after 24 years in, should I “reclaim” those joints or do the previous exams cover them?