Received a certified letter last week from Bethesda. On July 15th, a Marine Corps Colonel and two Navy officers met in Washington, DC and determined that my “disposition be changed from temporary to permanent disability retirement.”

I sent in my acceptance yesterday, and sometime in the next 12 weeks I will be permanently retired!

Received my first orders to appear for the temporary disability retired list (TDRL) periodic physical examination (PPE) this week.

I am to report to Bethesda Naval Hospital by the end of June 2010 to “determine any change in the condition for which I was placed on the TDRL.” As you may remember reading, those on the TDRL must be evaluated every 18 months in order to retain their pay and benefits. I’ll be scheduling my trip for the end of May, the only time I have off between Spring and Summer semesters. I’m actually looking forward to it. Unlike some civilian physicians, Navy physicians always appreciate the magnitude of my injury and seem to have a better understanding of my situation, though I’m not sure why.

Finally got a letter from the VA regarding my service connected compensation claim. I’ve been assigned a 30% rating, which I’m not too happy about. It’s like they ignored everything that was happening with my leg, and simply looked up what rating was next to “hip fracture.” I’m going to meet with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) this week and file an appeal.

Just got off the phone with the VA. I called to check the status of my claim, and to see if there was anything they needed from me. It’s been 4 months since I started the claim, and I haven’t heard from them in quite a while. The man I spoke to told me that my claim had just been transferred to ratings. All the paperwork and evaluations supporting my claim will be looked at, and I will be assigned a rating. He said it could be another 1-2 months, but hopefully won’t be too much longer.

Thanks to solid advice from a reader, I was able to submit my paperwork to the VA for disability compensation. Thank you Don!

This morning I went to the Disabled American Veterans office and met with a Service Officer who helped me with all the paperwork. Not even 30 minutes later I was finished. I should hear from the VA in a week telling me they received my information. After they retrieve my file from the Department of the Navy (which will take about a month), they will schedule an orthopedic appointment for me. The VA orthopedic doctor will evaluate me, then submit his findings, and the VA will give me another disability rating.

So why am I getting a second disability rating?

The military rates only conditions determined to be physically unfitting, compensating for loss of a military career. The VA may rate any service-connected impairment, thus compensating for loss of civilian employability. Another difference is the term of the rating. The military’s ratings are permanent upon final disposition. VA ratings may fluctuate with time, depending upon the progress of the condition. Further, the military’s disability compensation is affected by years of service and basic pay; while VA compensation is a flat amount based upon the percentage rating received.