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Monthly Archives: December 2018

Separating Migraine Headaches from Fibromyalgia

As with my previous post regarding fibromyalgia and mood disorders, your military rheumatology providers are likely to attribute chronic migraines- even if longstanding in nature- to your fibromyalgia diagnosis.  To overcome this tendency, you will need to have your treating neurologist prepare an addendum that specifically addresses how your prostrating migraines differ from the tension […]

Separating Mood Disorders from Fibromyalgia

If you are going through the disability process and are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, there will be a natural tendency for military providers to lump all your symptoms under this diagnosis- even if the other conditions arose much earlier than the fibromyalgia itself.  This is particularly true with mood disorders like anxiety and depression.  In order […]

Unique Way to Increase Rating for Rheumatoid Arthritis in PEB & VA Cases

In a recent case, my client had received a 40% disability rating for Rheumatoid Arthritis (“RA”) under the VA Code 5002.  While this was a good initial rating, it did not reflect the real impact of this disease upon him.  Sadly, he didn’t have the significant weight loss, anemia or severe incapacitating episodes 4 or […]

What Changes to DOD IDES Timelines Mean to You

In July of 2018, the DOD Secretariat unveiled major changes to the timelines for processing IDES cases.  The goal of these changes is to complete 80 percent of all active duty and Reserve/Guard cases within 230 days.  Each service is taking its own unique approach to implementing this mandate, but most of these changes will […]

Coast Guard Rolls Out Pilot IDES/VA Program

Until this year, unlike the other armed services, the Coast Guard had not participated in the Joint DOD/VA IDES program and has retained the traditional legacy PEB structure.  This structure will begin to change in 2019, as the Coast Guard rolls out its own version of the IDES process at its pilot test sites at […]

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