Need DoDMERB Waiver HELP

[TiredMom]

My son was awarded a 4 yr AROTC scholarship last year pending DoDMERB. He was denied and then sent information for waiver review over summer (scholarship still pending for DoDMERB).
We have completed multiple items requested, submitted thru portal. One item was seeing pulmonologist and having a bronchodilator test. He has reached out to DoDMERB weekly for months and still has not talked to anyone to get this scheduled. He waits on hold, gets transferred around, but cannot get them to assist in scheduling this. My insurance will not cover since he has not had any asthma issues in years. I have already spent $2k out of pocket on his other tests (food challenges) and just cannot afford to continue to pay for these tests and tuition without getting any feedback that he’ll be able to contract. He desperately wants to contract, is part of AROTC at his university which reduces his ability to have a part time job to help cover his educational costs. He is a STEM major so his courseload is quite heavy.
I don’t want him to give up, but if he can’t contract and starting receiving his scholarship, then he’ll need to get a part time job to help cover costs.
How do we get DoDMERB to respond? What are our options?

Thank you in advance!

 

[pa-outdoorsman]

Wow, this sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare! I wish I had some insight to offer, but all I can do is wish you the best of luck. I really, really hope your son is able to use the scholarship he worked so hard to earn!

 

[Capt MJ]

My son was awarded a 4 yr AROTC scholarship last year pending DoDMERB. He was denied and then sent information for waiver review over summer (scholarship still pending for DoDMERB).
We have completed multiple items requested, submitted thru portal. One item was seeing pulmonologist and having a bronchodilator test. He has reached out to DoDMERB weekly for months and still has not talked to anyone to get this scheduled. He waits on hold, gets transferred around, but cannot get them to assist in scheduling this. My insurance will not cover since he has not had any asthma issues in years. I have already spent $2k out of pocket on his other tests (food challenges) and just cannot afford to continue to pay for these tests and tuition without getting any feedback that he’ll be able to contract. He desperately wants to contract, is part of AROTC at his university which reduces his ability to have a part time job to help cover his educational costs. He is a STEM major so his courseload is quite heavy.
I don’t want him to give up, but if he can’t contract and starting receiving his scholarship, then he’ll need to get a part time job to help cover costs.
How do we get DoDMERB to respond? What are our options?

Thank you in advance!

Has DoDMERB not provided the name of a healthcare provider? Has your son’s chain of command not been involved? (Rhetorical) I don’t know enough about how the ROTC medical process works to comment knowledgably.


I do not often recommend this, but you can write your Representative - go to website and look at “constituent services” - and request help to resolve the issue. This will generate a Congressional inquiry which will go to SECDEF and to the right office(s) from there, and like poop, will flow downhill. It must be answered within a certain time frame.

For best results, use a professional tone, be clear about specifically what action/help you want, lay out the facts and a time line of actions taken by your son. Include your son’s “last four” of his SSN with his name, so he is findable in the system. Don’t be shy about mentioning financial hardship.

I suspect every senior officer who has ever posted here has been on the receiving end of one of these. It should have no impact on your son’s career. Your son should continue to perform well with a positive attitude to maintain positive support from his chain of command.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[EJF]

Hey there! I’m so sorry. His remedial exams are scheduled through Dodmets or CIV team.
Has he been in contact with them? Dodmerb does not handle the appointments they only request them, and that all gets sent to Dodmets. Does he have the official letter from Dodmerb requesting all this? Has he looked at his Dodmets account? If I recall correctly it’s separate from Dodmerb. My son had to call Dodmets/ CIV team a few times last year regarding his arrangements and they always answered. They have 30 days to provide someone who can conduct the tests for him, then he calls to schedule with that provider and they will pay for it. This is actually preferred rather than going with your own provider. He had his referral within a few days for the same test, and then he had to weight several weeks to get in. I do agree he should be talking to his Cadre also if he needs help with the process, they want him to contract.

 

[Capt MJ]

Hey there! I’m so sorry. His remedial exams are scheduled through Dodmets or CIV team.
Has he been in contact with them? Dodmerb does not handle the appointments they only request them, and that all gets sent to Dodmets. Does he have the official letter from Dodmerb requesting all this? Has he looked at his Dodmets account? If I recall correctly it’s separate from Dodmerb. My son had to call Dodmets/ CIV team a few times last year regarding his arrangements and they always answered. They have 30 days to provide someone who can conduct the tests for him, then he calls to schedule with that provider and they will pay for it. This is actually preferred rather than going with your own provider. He had his referral within a few days for the same test, and then he had to weight several weeks to get in. I do agree he should be talking to his Cadre also if he needs help with the process, they want him to contract.

Forehead smack! Of course, DoDMETS should be in the middle of this as the coordinator with providers. Mind on other things today.

 

[TiredMom]

Hey there! I’m so sorry. His remedial exams are scheduled through Dodmets or CIV team.
Has he been in contact with them? Dodmerb does not handle the appointments they only request them, and that all gets sent to Dodmets. Does he have the official letter from Dodmerb requesting all this? Has he looked at his Dodmets account? If I recall correctly it’s separate from Dodmerb. My son had to call Dodmets/ CIV team a few times last year regarding his arrangements and they always answered. They have 30 days to provide someone who can conduct the tests for him, then he calls to schedule with that provider and they will pay for it. This is actually preferred rather than going with your own provider. He had his referral within a few days for the same test, and then he had to weight several weeks to get in. I do agree he should be talking to his Cadre also if he needs help with the process, they want him to contract.

Thank you all.. he is pulling all his email correspondence now . He was sending emails last month to a contact his AROTC recruiting office gave him..not sure if DoDMerb or DoDMets.
He hasn’t been able to meet with the recruiter very easily..the recruiter has been focused on the upperclass men's contract and my son is hesitant to push too hard. He doesn’t want to hurt himself politically and doesn’t have any military contacts. I am a single mom who did not serve..so really do not know how best to assist him.

 

[EJF]

Thank you all.. he is pulling all his email correspondence now . He was sending emails last month to a contact his AROTC recruiting office gave him..not sure if DoDMerb or DoDMets.
He hasn’t been able to meet with the recruiter very easily..the recruiter has been focused on the upperclass men's contract and my son is hesitant to push too hard. He doesn’t want to hurt himself politically and doesn’t have any military contacts. I am a single mom who did not serve..so really do not know how best to assist him.

He should have a Dodmets portal and contact information there, encourage him to look at that portal, not just email. If you want to send me a private message please feel free to do so

 

[TiredMom]

Thank you for your guidance.. he had been responding to the portal from his USMA application last year (not realizing it was separate from the AROTC). He found the DoDMETs and actually talked to someone who said he would be contacted within 30days to schedule the appt.
I am so thankful for those of you who patrol this forum and offer guidance! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

[EJF]

Thank you for your guidance.. he had been responding to the portal from his USMA application last year (not realizing it was separate from the AROTC). He found the DoDMETs and actually talked to someone who said he would be contacted within 30days to schedule the appt.
I am so thankful for those of you who patrol this forum and offer guidance! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Great news and happy to help!