Medical Discharge

How does a Medical Discharge affect your disability Benefits?

You can still receive VA disability compensation after medical discharge, but veterans generally cannot receive monthly monetary benefits for both DoD Disability and VA Disability (known as “concurrent receipt”). Instead, whatever money is received from the VA is subtracted from the monetary amount given by the DoD and it becomes tax deductible because VA benefits are not taxed. Thus, reducing your overall tax burden.

Medical Discharge is a Department of Defense program and not a VA program.

A Medical Discharge is given to those who become too sick or injured to fulfill their military duties.  This is covered under Title 10, USC, chapter 61.  All military branches follow the Disability Evaluation System (DES) for Medical Discharges. When a service member has a permanent condition that makes it near impossible for them to return to full duty within a reasonable period, the treating physician must notify the nearest Military Treatment Facility (MTF).

The DES has two stages of review before a service member is deemed eligible for medical discharge: the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) and the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB).  A service member is required to go through MEB first after they’re referred to the DES by their service branch.  The MEB is not considered a formal hearing, and the service member is not required to appear before a panel.

If you have less than 20 years and received a disability rating of less than 30% from the MEB you will get a Medical Discharge.

Most medical discharges are regarded as honorable. This means that the service member will be entitled to VA benefits, and their future career opportunities will not be affected from a moral character standpoint.

If you disagree with the PEB decision, you may request reconsideration within ten days of the notification.

It can take 4-6 months to get processed through the medical discharge process.

The medical discharge process begins when your physician recommends a medical board because it becomes apparent that your condition may permanently interfere with your ability to serve on active duty.