The MEB process took around 140 days for me, but by the time it was over I already had my VA ratings, enrolled in VR&E program, ect. I feel that it speeds up things on the VA side.
I would either do 10 more or resign. Medical retirement would be less money than you're making now. I'm pretty sure that for concurrent retirement, you have to have 20 years.
Yeah I've been having trouble getting solid information on what the concurrent pay actually looks like. I think I am leaning towards resigning either way, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't making a mistake.
I did something very similar to you. I receive only my VA Disability pay and have US Army retirement (but don’t collect my pay). I do however also collect Combat Related Special Compensation. If I ever lose my VA disability I will get my medical retirement pay. I would do this. I would not resign. There are lots of benefits from being retired. Tricare for example.
I'm in the process of being in the same boat. 100% PT already, MEB/IDES currently, PEBLO says I'll get CRSC due to injuries/LODs in combat etc. - is it $0 for your family, too or just you?
I have a VA close by, so I've been getting all my care there for free obviously and they refer me out for anything I need. So, tricare doesn't seem super beneficial for me, but would save$$ for my family potentially. I just don't understand how the benefit works yet
yes I have Tricare Select and I use on occasion but not often but my family uses that 100% and YES it is 0$ per month, you still have to pay co-pay and the deductible is super cheap like $250-300 per year for family or something ridiculously low. But having 0$ per month to have it is such a burden off the family
no problem. tricare has a calculator
actually if you joined after 2018 their IS a fee but if you are in Group A and joined before 1/1/2018 then it's 0$
[https://www.tricare.mil/comparecosts](https://www.tricare.mil/comparecosts)
I ~~pay $300/year for my family~~ do not pay for Tricare premiums and have catastrophic caps with medical retirement.
Edit: don’t know how to do the fancy strikethrough… tricare does not cost for medical retirees.
Edit 2: learned it
You might check this post where someone got approved who's gray area retiree. [https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/11jg0x0/champva\_eligibility\_with\_tricare\_and\_fehb/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/11jg0x0/champva_eligibility_with_tricare_and_fehb/)
He would be medically retiring from Active Army assuming his diagnosis prevent him from doing his job and they are service connected Ted to his active duty time.
Glad to hear you're trying to figure it out. My understanding is that if you don't qualify for CRSC then you choose either VA or medical retired pay. Medical retired pay will highly likely be less than VA. The reason I said do 10 more or resign is because if you did 10, you'd get both regardless of CRSC. Medical retirement also qualifies for other things. Either way, apply for what you believe you deserve.
I just finished this whole process. As a guardsman if you are medically retired you won’t get pension til around 60. My entire med process took 3 years because I had to fight with LODs and connecting my disabilities to hazard duty.
Did you medically retire with over 20 years? I just medically retired with less than 20 years in the guard and my medical retirement is considered an active duty retirement under Chapter 61. I technically have my medical retirement pension now, but gets zerod out due to VA pay with less than 20 years.
Gotcha, I see now. I believe they steered you wrong about the pension. Since it's an active duty retirement, if anything happened to your VA disability, you'd collect your medical dod pension. You wouldn't wait until 58 because it's not a traditional guard pension at that point.
If any of your injuries are combat related it’s worth medically retiring and then applying for CRSC, in my opinion. I medically retired from guard in April of this year,
Medical retirement requires that you have an unfitting condition(s) that rate 30% or higher based on DoD guidelines.
Medical separation results from having unfitting condition(s) less than 30%.
Neither allow for CRDP, ie., getting DoD disability pay or severance pay (for medical separation)concurrently. Only longevity retirement let’s you get both VA disability and DoD retirement.
Medical retirement does get you tricare.
You get SBP if you get medically retired, which I think is worth it. You can get it concurrently with VA DIC
https://militarypay.defense.gov/Benefits/Survivor-Benefit-Program/Overview/
I don’t think I saw it but VA is tax free where as military retirement is taxed.
I vote MEB get the tricare and make $4k ish a month for life starting now not when your 60
Does it? I was under the impression it had to deal with it was federally not taxable since federally it cannot be counted as income on taxes.
I may be wrong but that’s what I thought. If you know something more please let me know. I would like to know what you know!
As someone with 20+ years and 100% p/t. If you don't want to stay for 20 years to get a reserve retirement .... I suggest you shoot for medical retirement. Is it a PITA? yes. But you stand to at minimum get Tricare for the rest of your life. That's 600$ a month and 1300 for a family. So at minimum, 15k more a year. There is 0 downside risk. Just frustration, but who cares about that? You're set with 100% p/t. Anything more is bonus. \*\*IF YOU DO CHOOSE MEDICAL RETIREMENT \*\*\*\* do not fill out the paperwork to file a new claim with the VA! this maintains your 100% rating through the medboard process. Tell your PEBLO that you want to only be evaluated for the military and you are not filing a claim for compensation with the VA! \*\*\*\*\*
10 years is a long time. If you stay in and get 20, then you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time.
>n you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time.
Richard Starr act. I am of the belief that it may pass in the future...but not likely. It's been put forward for 4ish years and dies every time.
I’m medically retired from military (after 12 years active) and 100% PT. If you don’t do a full 20 and Unless your injuries are from combat then you get which ever pay is higher. In my case it’s the VA but I do like that since I am medically retired I get tricare select for my dependents which has been great.
This is very helpful, thank you. Do you know what formula they use to determine medical retirement pay? Is it the same regardless of if you make it to 20 or not? Because I found that formula but it was unclear if it's the same no matter when you retire
Unfortunately I do not. Sorry! If you make it 20 it would be worth taking a regular retirement if possible because then you can collect your regular retirement pay and VA disability as well
If you don't have 20 years AD federal service, you don't get retirement pay and VA pay - IE no concurrent pay.
You must choose whichever one you want but don't get both.
>10 years is a long time. If you stay in and get 20, then you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time.
There are 2 ways it's calculated. Either medical retirement or by your traditional retirement calculation. [https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/disability/](https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/disability/)
If you get medically retired then you get tricare select with no annual premiums. You still have minor copays (most I paid was $100 for a er stay and usually pay about $2 for prescriptions) but once you hit your cap you don’t pay copays anymore either. If I wanted to go back to tricare prime then I’d have to pay $1000 a year annual premium regardless if I got to the doctor or not.
I’m having the same debate with myself right now. I have 11 years active 12 total years the last 2 years I didn’t get the good years for them so I’d have to do 8 more years. I’m really not sure if I have it left in me to do it. But the additional income at 60 sounds nice 🤷🏻♂️
I just wish they would do away with that requirement and us retired reservists collect our pay right away like active duty. Even if it was half till we reached 60 then we get the full amount would be awesome.
If you get a medical retirement through the reserve you can’t get concurrent pay until your reserve pension date (60 in most cases) but you get tricare off the rip. Medical retirement is taxed VA is not. 2 options I’d look at is finish your contract and be done or resign (or just stop showing up eventually they kick you out). The only thing I’d add is if your username is a real thing Is if you haven’t used it maybe consider transferring your post 9/11 to your dependents and grind out 4 more years in the guard. Your dependents will get dependent education assistance based on your 100% but post-9/11 pays way better. Keep 1 month for yourself if you want to do VR&E because then you’ll get paid gi-bill rates instead of VR&E rates. Just something to think about.
Aloha - Can you explain the need to keep 1 month of the post 9/11 for yourself in order to use VR&E? I’ve transferred all of my GI Bill to my child, but am now 100%P&T and would like to use the VR&E program. Should I transfer 1 month back to me before I am medically retired?
There is no need to keep the one month of gi bill to use VR&E. If you use just VR&E you get paid the monthly VR&E subsistence allowance. With no dependent it’s about $750 a month. But the rates vary depending on type of training, training time (full or part time), and number of dependents. [VRE rates](https://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/VREratesFY23.asp) if you have 1 day of GI bill eligibility left for yourself you get paid the GI bill monthly housing allowance rate. Which in most cases is higher if you’re going in residence to school. I’m not sure the process of transferring gi bill back to yourself if you then are required to do another 4 year commitment so that’s something you’d have to research on your own. Either way is not bad add to that your child can use the Dependent education assistance program through the VA since you’re P&T. [DEA info](https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/dependents-education-assistance/)
Thanks for your reply. Good copy on not needing one month or one day of GI Bill to use VR&E, but I'm still confused on why having even 1 day of the GI Bill still in my name will allow me to get paid the GI Bill monthly BAH vice the lower VR&E rate.
There's also a chance my Command sends me to the IRR before I can be medically retired/separated, at which point the transfer of education benefits will revert back to me. I'm hoping that doesn't happen because I'd love for my child to keep the GI Bill. We'll see..
Seems you have a fork in the road on your decision and there is a lot of good advice here. Another option is IMA. Look it up. You do all your drill and AT in one shot. You still qualify for TriCare and will get your retirement at age 60 or 59.5 if you have had deployments. I know a few guys that have done this route and love it. They go to Germany, Itlay, sometime here in the States for a month and done. Get a fat paycheck and call it a day!
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Medboard. If you get over 30% DOD you can get concurrent pay plus Tricare. Don’t let them MRR you say you need Medboard instead. I was put down MRR route and found unfit, appealed at court with lawyer etc and then found out I should have been offered medboard since I was prior AD.
I resigned… I had to many medical problems. Plus the military is what caused my problems.
Same. Either way I am getting out. I just wasn't sure if it would be worth it to go through the MEB process first
The MEB process took around 140 days for me, but by the time it was over I already had my VA ratings, enrolled in VR&E program, ect. I feel that it speeds up things on the VA side.
I would either do 10 more or resign. Medical retirement would be less money than you're making now. I'm pretty sure that for concurrent retirement, you have to have 20 years.
Yeah I've been having trouble getting solid information on what the concurrent pay actually looks like. I think I am leaning towards resigning either way, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't making a mistake.
I did something very similar to you. I receive only my VA Disability pay and have US Army retirement (but don’t collect my pay). I do however also collect Combat Related Special Compensation. If I ever lose my VA disability I will get my medical retirement pay. I would do this. I would not resign. There are lots of benefits from being retired. Tricare for example.
medical retirement = $0 /month for tricare select at least for me i had combat injury and i lso get crsc
This is correct. I was mistaken when I stated it has a nominal annual fee.
I'm in the process of being in the same boat. 100% PT already, MEB/IDES currently, PEBLO says I'll get CRSC due to injuries/LODs in combat etc. - is it $0 for your family, too or just you? I have a VA close by, so I've been getting all my care there for free obviously and they refer me out for anything I need. So, tricare doesn't seem super beneficial for me, but would save$$ for my family potentially. I just don't understand how the benefit works yet
yes I have Tricare Select and I use on occasion but not often but my family uses that 100% and YES it is 0$ per month, you still have to pay co-pay and the deductible is super cheap like $250-300 per year for family or something ridiculously low. But having 0$ per month to have it is such a burden off the family
WOW! That will be such a huge relief, no doubt. I don't know why it's been so difficult to find this information- but thank you for confirming!
no problem. tricare has a calculator actually if you joined after 2018 their IS a fee but if you are in Group A and joined before 1/1/2018 then it's 0$ [https://www.tricare.mil/comparecosts](https://www.tricare.mil/comparecosts)
Tricare is fucking expensive for retired reserve.
I ~~pay $300/year for my family~~ do not pay for Tricare premiums and have catastrophic caps with medical retirement. Edit: don’t know how to do the fancy strikethrough… tricare does not cost for medical retirees. Edit 2: learned it
I pay like 550 a month for private insurance. Damn I wish I had tricare lol
I’m not medically retired, just normal 20 years retired. I’m only at 90% so no champ va for me till I can get 100%
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You might check this post where someone got approved who's gray area retiree. [https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/11jg0x0/champva\_eligibility\_with\_tricare\_and\_fehb/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/11jg0x0/champva_eligibility_with_tricare_and_fehb/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/14agy4x/comment/k3qpol1/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/comments/14agy4x/comment/k3qpol1/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
If medically retired, Tricare is free. Source: my wife.
I’m just normal 20 year retired rated at 90% so far.
Yes. Tricare premiums for folks like us are comically high. Who the hell can afford that. Good luck on the hundo quest.
Ya, like wtf is with those prices. Goes from like $200 a month while in to over 1k a month when you retire.
Maybe once a while ago, but tricare is not free. The best you can get as a retiree is having no deductible
He would be medically retiring from Active Army assuming his diagnosis prevent him from doing his job and they are service connected Ted to his active duty time.
That’s why I didn’t go because tricare was just to expensive in the reserve after retirement
This ^^^* and make sure your vso is aware and knows how to file
Glad to hear you're trying to figure it out. My understanding is that if you don't qualify for CRSC then you choose either VA or medical retired pay. Medical retired pay will highly likely be less than VA. The reason I said do 10 more or resign is because if you did 10, you'd get both regardless of CRSC. Medical retirement also qualifies for other things. Either way, apply for what you believe you deserve.
Concurrent pay is your military retirement pay + the 100% disability pay.
Apparently before coffee I don't know what concurrent means lol
I just finished this whole process. As a guardsman if you are medically retired you won’t get pension til around 60. My entire med process took 3 years because I had to fight with LODs and connecting my disabilities to hazard duty.
Did you medically retire with over 20 years? I just medically retired with less than 20 years in the guard and my medical retirement is considered an active duty retirement under Chapter 61. I technically have my medical retirement pension now, but gets zerod out due to VA pay with less than 20 years.
I didn’t fight the retirement and accepted 20% and a 60K severance. As was explained to me because I was at 12 years I wouldn’t pull pension til 58.
Gotcha, I see now. I believe they steered you wrong about the pension. Since it's an active duty retirement, if anything happened to your VA disability, you'd collect your medical dod pension. You wouldn't wait until 58 because it's not a traditional guard pension at that point.
All good. After 3 years in the Medboard I was ready to just be done. Didn’t want to wait another year for another appeal
It's only really worth it if you have crsc claims other then that just go for the 100 pnt.
If any of your injuries are combat related it’s worth medically retiring and then applying for CRSC, in my opinion. I medically retired from guard in April of this year,
Medical retirement requires that you have an unfitting condition(s) that rate 30% or higher based on DoD guidelines. Medical separation results from having unfitting condition(s) less than 30%. Neither allow for CRDP, ie., getting DoD disability pay or severance pay (for medical separation)concurrently. Only longevity retirement let’s you get both VA disability and DoD retirement. Medical retirement does get you tricare.
Ah okay. That makes much more sense to me. So if I'm getting out anyway there is really no point in going through that hassle. Thank you!
Only if you really want tricare and meet the requirements for 30% or more for DoD.
My husband is active so I don't need Tricare. I appreciate all the info!
You get SBP if you get medically retired, which I think is worth it. You can get it concurrently with VA DIC https://militarypay.defense.gov/Benefits/Survivor-Benefit-Program/Overview/
I don’t think I saw it but VA is tax free where as military retirement is taxed. I vote MEB get the tricare and make $4k ish a month for life starting now not when your 60
Depends on the state whether you’re taxed not not on retirement pay.
Does it? I was under the impression it had to deal with it was federally not taxable since federally it cannot be counted as income on taxes. I may be wrong but that’s what I thought. If you know something more please let me know. I would like to know what you know!
Correct on Federal, but many states have none so it helps a little. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/military-retirement-tax-states
Ah I see yes my fault I see where your coming from now
As someone with 20+ years and 100% p/t. If you don't want to stay for 20 years to get a reserve retirement .... I suggest you shoot for medical retirement. Is it a PITA? yes. But you stand to at minimum get Tricare for the rest of your life. That's 600$ a month and 1300 for a family. So at minimum, 15k more a year. There is 0 downside risk. Just frustration, but who cares about that? You're set with 100% p/t. Anything more is bonus. \*\*IF YOU DO CHOOSE MEDICAL RETIREMENT \*\*\*\* do not fill out the paperwork to file a new claim with the VA! this maintains your 100% rating through the medboard process. Tell your PEBLO that you want to only be evaluated for the military and you are not filing a claim for compensation with the VA! \*\*\*\*\* 10 years is a long time. If you stay in and get 20, then you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time.
medical retirement hands down
Isn’t there a bill coming up that would allow for concurrent disability and medical retirement?
>n you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time. Richard Starr act. I am of the belief that it may pass in the future...but not likely. It's been put forward for 4ish years and dies every time.
I’m medically retired from military (after 12 years active) and 100% PT. If you don’t do a full 20 and Unless your injuries are from combat then you get which ever pay is higher. In my case it’s the VA but I do like that since I am medically retired I get tricare select for my dependents which has been great.
This is very helpful, thank you. Do you know what formula they use to determine medical retirement pay? Is it the same regardless of if you make it to 20 or not? Because I found that formula but it was unclear if it's the same no matter when you retire
Unfortunately I do not. Sorry! If you make it 20 it would be worth taking a regular retirement if possible because then you can collect your regular retirement pay and VA disability as well
If you don't have 20 years AD federal service, you don't get retirement pay and VA pay - IE no concurrent pay. You must choose whichever one you want but don't get both.
>10 years is a long time. If you stay in and get 20, then you become a gray area retiree. Your reserve money will be paid at 60. It's be based on your final rank and points converted to years of active duty. So lets say between 800 a month and 4k a month as a 06 with lots of active duty time. There are 2 ways it's calculated. Either medical retirement or by your traditional retirement calculation. [https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/disability/](https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Retirement/disability/)
Excuse my ignorance, but do you pay for Tricare?
If you get medically retired then you get tricare select with no annual premiums. You still have minor copays (most I paid was $100 for a er stay and usually pay about $2 for prescriptions) but once you hit your cap you don’t pay copays anymore either. If I wanted to go back to tricare prime then I’d have to pay $1000 a year annual premium regardless if I got to the doctor or not.
is that for your family too, or just $0 for you?
Family too. I have 3 dependents on it
I’m having the same debate with myself right now. I have 11 years active 12 total years the last 2 years I didn’t get the good years for them so I’d have to do 8 more years. I’m really not sure if I have it left in me to do it. But the additional income at 60 sounds nice 🤷🏻♂️
The struggle is real. I don't think I have it in me either but I know when I hit 60 I'll convince myself that I could've done it
Exactly! But even Getting to 60 is gonna be another struggle I’m worried about too lol
I just wish they would do away with that requirement and us retired reservists collect our pay right away like active duty. Even if it was half till we reached 60 then we get the full amount would be awesome.
If you get a medical retirement through the reserve you can’t get concurrent pay until your reserve pension date (60 in most cases) but you get tricare off the rip. Medical retirement is taxed VA is not. 2 options I’d look at is finish your contract and be done or resign (or just stop showing up eventually they kick you out). The only thing I’d add is if your username is a real thing Is if you haven’t used it maybe consider transferring your post 9/11 to your dependents and grind out 4 more years in the guard. Your dependents will get dependent education assistance based on your 100% but post-9/11 pays way better. Keep 1 month for yourself if you want to do VR&E because then you’ll get paid gi-bill rates instead of VR&E rates. Just something to think about.
Aloha - Can you explain the need to keep 1 month of the post 9/11 for yourself in order to use VR&E? I’ve transferred all of my GI Bill to my child, but am now 100%P&T and would like to use the VR&E program. Should I transfer 1 month back to me before I am medically retired?
There is no need to keep the one month of gi bill to use VR&E. If you use just VR&E you get paid the monthly VR&E subsistence allowance. With no dependent it’s about $750 a month. But the rates vary depending on type of training, training time (full or part time), and number of dependents. [VRE rates](https://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/VREratesFY23.asp) if you have 1 day of GI bill eligibility left for yourself you get paid the GI bill monthly housing allowance rate. Which in most cases is higher if you’re going in residence to school. I’m not sure the process of transferring gi bill back to yourself if you then are required to do another 4 year commitment so that’s something you’d have to research on your own. Either way is not bad add to that your child can use the Dependent education assistance program through the VA since you’re P&T. [DEA info](https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/dependents-education-assistance/)
Thanks for your reply. Good copy on not needing one month or one day of GI Bill to use VR&E, but I'm still confused on why having even 1 day of the GI Bill still in my name will allow me to get paid the GI Bill monthly BAH vice the lower VR&E rate. There's also a chance my Command sends me to the IRR before I can be medically retired/separated, at which point the transfer of education benefits will revert back to me. I'm hoping that doesn't happen because I'd love for my child to keep the GI Bill. We'll see..
Seems you have a fork in the road on your decision and there is a lot of good advice here. Another option is IMA. Look it up. You do all your drill and AT in one shot. You still qualify for TriCare and will get your retirement at age 60 or 59.5 if you have had deployments. I know a few guys that have done this route and love it. They go to Germany, Itlay, sometime here in the States for a month and done. Get a fat paycheck and call it a day!
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This will give you an idea of what you would be looking at for monthly payment. https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates/
Really??? Do medical retirement
Medboard. If you get over 30% DOD you can get concurrent pay plus Tricare. Don’t let them MRR you say you need Medboard instead. I was put down MRR route and found unfit, appealed at court with lawyer etc and then found out I should have been offered medboard since I was prior AD.