I am starting the process to separate from active duty and the insider advice I’ve heard is to just submit a VA disability claim and see if you can get a monthly compensation for your efforts. I am wary that submitting a claim could impact my merchant mariner medical certificate.
Could a VA disability claim impact your application for a medical certificate?
I knew a mariner that was collecting va disability, navy retirement, and MSC 3 a/e pay
The coast guard only knows what you tell them with regards to medical information. They don’t really have any other sources of info on that front unless you make them suspicious then they can ask you for anything.
Thank you. That has helped steer my decision making. Makes me wonder what that mariner was saving up for.
Look at the medical form, if your doctor can answer No to all the conditions you should not have a problem.
Thank you for your insight. I agree the internal advice I was hearing about it didn’t sit well with me. It is presented as a benefit that is available and shouldn’t be refused lightly, because you only get one opportunity to opt-in and you might need it in the future if something shows up that you didn’t realize you were exposed to. That’s why I wanted to collect as much information about it as I could before making my decision. My gut reaction definitely agreed with your sentiments.
The whole disability process seems to be a sham if you are being encouraged to apply just in case something might show up later.
I’m not criticizing you for taking advantage of the system as it stands, but I’ve worked with perfectly healthy individuals that were on 60% disability. How did we get to the point when disability is an expected HR benefit?
The maritime academies are heavily recruiting “disabled veterans,” because they have disability benefits to pay for school.
I’ve had several of these “disabled veteran” grads onboard. Typical “disabilities” are minor hearing loss and PTSD. Some of these disability claims seem legit, but others seem bogus.
USCG medical standards are quite modest.
I’ve seen guys get USCG medical waivers for many things, including loss of one eye, hearing aids, etc. Many years ago I knew a good captain that had one crippled leg from childhood polio.
If you want scam the system, go ahead, it probably won’t prevent you from getting a USCG medical card.
Agree completely. These disability scams for people that are perfectly able to work, and are working, have been way out of control for a long long time.
Cadet…“disabled” from .mil $2200 a month cash for life, adjusted for COLA…working as a cadet doing manual labor…
Because military pay is so shitty they deserve whatever they can get.
Prove your assertion after perusing pay tables.
You’re the one questioning the statement. How about you show it isn’t?
That chart is for officers and that number is inclusive of benefits, housing allowance, food allowance, and healthcare for a family. But what is the base salary, and what is the base for enlisted, who make up over 80% of the military? (Answer: Low. E1 starting base pay is $20k/yr and E7 is 42k/yr).
It’s worth pointing out that disability is meant to compensate for illness or injury received or made worse as a result of serving in the military. It doesn’t mean you can’t work (unless you are 100% disabled). It’s based on a percentage of severity.
Also, that anecdotal $2200 a month mentioned above is less than minimum wage in at least 12 states, so it’s not like being injured in the military is some windfall.
Base salary is just part of the total compensation that is received. You can’t only quote base salary to make your point. Who just gets “base salary”? The allowances are massive and designed that way to avoid taxes (which makes them even more valuable).
So it’s more than min wage in other states and the federal min wage? Wtf is you point? Nobody claimed it was enough to live on.
Maybe I read too much into it, but the connotation of your comment made it seem like you felt that since that Cadet was doing manual labor that he shouldn’t be receiving disability pay because he wasn’t “disabled”. I’m just pointing out that VA Disability is not just for people who are fully unable to work.
About the pay vs benefits, Phoenix said the pay is crap, and it is. A chart of Officer total comp doesn’t mean the majority of military pay isn’t crap. Obviously, benefits are important, but I’m still not taking a job if the pay is low. I can’t buy stuff with benefits. Good benefits certainly mean more left over in your pocket but left over crap is still crap.
Anyway, my point is that someone who receives VA disability and still works doesn’t mean they’re cheating the system or that the system is broken.
Anddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd…you only quoted the BASE pay.
As someone who receives VA compensation and has an MMC, there is no impact between the two.
The compensation is not because the individual is unable to work. You sign a contract loaning your body to the government, if returned in worst conditioned you are compensated given that you will spend the rest of your life living with whatever condition you have. Someone being 60% rated isn’t the same as saying someone is 60% handicapped. Let’s say you are airborne you go through jump school etc. Everything is rated individually that means feet, joints, legs, back etc. Numerous airborne personnel end up rated at 60% as a result of the combined elements.
The rating indicates you are not functioning as you would have if you did not serve. Before service I could stand for 16 hours without pain and inflammation, I had full range of motion in my right shoulder without it dislocating randomly. Yet can I work on a ship 12 hours a day in a hot engine room, yep sure can.
