Posted on Dec 7, 2016
If you medically retire (PDRL, RE says N/A) & your condition improves, but you attempt to re-join & are denied, can you lose your retirement?
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Posted in these groups: 
Retirement
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Retirement Medical
Posted >1 y ago
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Medically retired means drawing some type of pension check from the military. In that case there are 2 types of medical retirement. Temporary and Permanent. If you are labeled as permanent then yes you can possibly lose your retirement just for trying. If it is just temporary then you would lose your pension and can rejoin.
Now the flip side if you are not Medically retired but just discharged for medical and collecting VA compensation, it would depend on how your DD214 is coded and if it allows you re-entry into the service. If you come back in (Reserves/National Guard) you can still collect your VA payment but they would deduct whatever drill payments you are given from your VA pay. Or you can decline the Drill pay all together and just get retirement points only. If you go back to Active duty then you lose whatever compensation you are receiving from VA.
Now the flip side if you are not Medically retired but just discharged for medical and collecting VA compensation, it would depend on how your DD214 is coded and if it allows you re-entry into the service. If you come back in (Reserves/National Guard) you can still collect your VA payment but they would deduct whatever drill payments you are given from your VA pay. Or you can decline the Drill pay all together and just get retirement points only. If you go back to Active duty then you lose whatever compensation you are receiving from VA.
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I am currently going through something like this. Trying to get back into the Air Guard after having received a medical discharge for what they claimed were migraines. From what I understand, the only issue is that you may get your disability pay deducted from your check. Not sure if there is anything further than that.
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LTC Peter Hartman
If they let you back in I assume the answer is yes. The medical retirement is to replace what you were making.
Even in the VA system, for some medical issues they can check up on you later and lower your disability if it has gotten better.
Even in the VA system, for some medical issues they can check up on you later and lower your disability if it has gotten better.
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Capt Andrew Pratt
LTC Peter Hartman - Yes absolutely with the VA they can modify and should because its based on disability. Like you said though the military medical ret is to compensate for a loss of career and a completely separate rating...so that was the question.
If you got 30% for XYZ, enough to qualify for a PDRL military medical ret, and attempt to fight after that decision was made with new documentation showing improvement, would a med board have the ability to say "while we see improvement its not enough to meet the standard for service, and btw since your not so bad lets drop that rating from 5 years ago to 0% and change your ret to a medical separation"
If you got 30% for XYZ, enough to qualify for a PDRL military medical ret, and attempt to fight after that decision was made with new documentation showing improvement, would a med board have the ability to say "while we see improvement its not enough to meet the standard for service, and btw since your not so bad lets drop that rating from 5 years ago to 0% and change your ret to a medical separation"
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SSgt (Join to see)
Ouch. I know that, right now, I have 10%. Just in order to get to go to MEPS I have to get a waiver. Then go to MEPS to try and get a service waiver.
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Capt Andrew Pratt
That was just a "what if" but the jist is what do I have to lose. If I can attempt to get in and don't...ok. But if I attempt and don't then lose my med ret too...well that would suck wouldn't it! I'm not even sure who would know the answer other than someone in the same situation...would JAG or a PEBLO?
I already got the boot once and luckily got something with it. I just have no idea if your ret is based on you losing your career at that moment of time only, or if a second meb to evaluate you getting back in would have the ability to change a decision from 5 years back.
I already got the boot once and luckily got something with it. I just have no idea if your ret is based on you losing your career at that moment of time only, or if a second meb to evaluate you getting back in would have the ability to change a decision from 5 years back.
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