[HEALTH.MIL] Dod Reviewing Veteran Disability Ratings
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- Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:53:16 -0500
Dod Reviewing Veteran Disability Ratings
August 18, 2011
By Dustin Senger, Fort Carson
FORT CARSON, Colo., Aug. 18, 2011 -- Michael LoGrande, Physical Disability Board
of Review director, visited Fort Carson Aug. 9, on the first stop in his
nationwide attempt to offer the board to more than 70,000 injured veterans.
The Physical Disability Board of Review, or PDBR, was established "to review the
disability determinations of covered individuals by Physical Evaluation Boards,"
according to the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act of 2008. The board
began accepting applications in January 2009 from post-9/11 veterans with a
disability rating of 20 percent or less.
About 25 percent of post-9/11 veterans reported a service-connected disability
in July 2010, according to U.S. Labor Department statistics in March. Nearly a
third had a disability rating less than 30 percent. The PDBR re-evaluates
records for anyone who served in the armed forces between Sept. 11, 2001, and
Dec. 31, 2009.
"Congress made it incredibly clear to everyone that it's apparent the services
are artificially suppressing disability ratings, across all of the services,"
said LoGrande, regarding discussions in 2007. He said PDBR applicants receive an
objective, DoD-level review of their previously filed disability ratings.
Ratings of 10 and 20 percent pay out $123 and $243, respectively, per month,
according to the latest Veterans Affairs compensation benefits rate tables.
After 30 percent, benefits pile up with the possibility of increased payments,
dependent compensations, disability retirement and access to the TRICARE
military health program.
Only five percent of the eligible population has applied, said LoGrande, during
his two-day visit to Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo., where he met with local
media. He plans to continue his travels to raise awareness of the PDBR this
fall, with stops in California and Texas.
"Congress put this board in place so we can correct inaccurately rated
disabilities -- so we can afford (veterans) what they should have been afforded
in the first place," said LoGrande, while meeting with Edward Butler, an Army
Wounded Warriors program advocate at Fort Carson.
Butler has helped five veterans apply to PDBR in the past year; each received a
higher rating.
"There are a number of people who don't feel good about their rating," said
Butler. His cases mostly involve severely injured individuals who were
discharged with a medical disability, such as a traumatic brain injury,
post-traumatic stress disorder, limb dysfunction or loss of vision or hearing.
"Sometimes they're just worn out and frustrated and just want to get out --
they'll sign anything," said Butler.
"If you apply to the PDBR, you don't have to prove there was an error or
injustice," said LoGrande. "We look at everything available and see what can be
rated."
Almost all of the PDBR findings have resulted in a correction of military
records, he said.
Each board combines a medical officer alongside two senior line officers, who
represent the veteran's branch of service. They may endorse rating
modifications, additions or re-characterizations to retirement.
They are not authorized to recommend reductions, according to the bill passed in
2008.
The legislation also funded the creation of pilot programs for the Disability
Evaluation System, which are projected to reduce processing times and
standardize policies across the military departments.
Colorado contains the PDBR's third largest eligible population, behind
California and Texas, said LoGrande. Out of the estimated 1,500 disabled
post-9/11 veterans residing in the state, 116 have applied. More than half of
those applicants received retroactive benefits and a disability retirement.
"They can send us whatever documentation they have, or they can send us
nothing," said LoGrande, emphasizing that the paperwork requested by the PDBR is
minimal. "They don't have to send us anything other than the application and
privacy act release."
"(PDBR) is an opportunity to correct a Soldier's military record," said Butler,
"as it pertains to their medical board rating. It will assist not just the
Soldiers but also their Families."
Post-9/11 veterans with a combined disability rating of 20 percent or less can
apply to the PDBR at http://www.health.mil/pdbr.
Related Links
=============
Physical Disability Board of Review at
<http://www.health.mil/About_MHS/Organizations/MHS_Offices_and_Programs/PDBR.asp
x>
Army.mil: Inside the Army News <http://www.army.mil/news/insidethearmy/>
STAND-TO!: Army Initiates Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) Improvements
<http://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2011/05/11/>
Department of Veterans Affairs <http://www.va.gov/>
Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy
<http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/>
Warrior Transition Command <http://wtc.army.mil/>
Wounded Warrior Project <http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/>
Fort Carson <http://www.carson.army.mil/>
-------
SOURCE: Army News Release at http://www.army.mil/article/63848/
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