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Military Cancer Survivor Benefit Questions
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Sep 05, 2004 - 11:05 pm
I'm new to this message board... Was just diagnosed with AML M4Eo on 15 JUN while serving as a deployed guardsman in Kosovo. I spent 2 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was able to be put into remission and am now being treated back in my home state. I might be told I'll need a bone marrow transplant ( I have 2 sisters who are a match), but won't find out for sure until this Wed. Here are some questions I have: 1. I will have 20 years DEC 04 and am currently a MAJ. Will my family be taken care of financially if I don't survive this? How much money and for how long will my wife and kids be payed a benefit? 2. What is a typical benefit % for cancer survivors, specifically leukemia? All the reading I've done, a person in remission could relapse at any time throughout their lives. Does the eval look at symptoms following treatment? 3. Do I need a military lawyer to represent/help me? 4. At what benefit percentages can I continue to work my civilian job? I'll stop here... Thanks in advance, Pete |
Joined: Apr 2003
Ahoy, Pete -
Actuve duty Coast Guard O-4 colon cancer survivor here... good questions, I'll look into your questions here - I have some real aces in medical benefits. I also have the name and number of an excellent attorney should you have to go to a med board. Off the cuff, I would say you don't have to worry about missing your retirement. Also, if for some reason you shouldn't survive this (but let's not talk that way - that's not productive) there are plenty of safety measures in place on the active duty side to help your family out. Also there is always SGLI and VGLI (once you're retired) plus VA bebefits. I would say let's hold off on that one pending your results on Wednesday. Focus right now on getting better.
Let me shoot your questions out to some pals of mine and see what theye have to say.
BTW, what is your home state? I don't envy your 2 months at Wally World - I did my treatments at Bethesda. If you can, I would recommend you consider getting into their program there. They are in a joint practice with the National Cancer Institute.
More to follow.
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