BOARD DATE: 26 August 2014 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20140005462 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests receipt of Non-Physician Board Certification Pay (NPBCP) for the period April 2011 to March 2012. 2. The applicant states: * she has been board certified as a nurse practitioner since March 2005 * she did not receive NPBCP from April 2011 to March 2012 * the total amount for the 12-month period equals $1,999.92 * her new certification was submitted by her unit in Korea in the spring of 2011 * she noticed she was not getting paid NPBCP after she transferred to Fort Lee, VA in July 2011 3. The applicant provides: * Officer Record Brief * American Nurses Credentialing Center certification * Leave and Earnings Statements CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant was commissioned as a Reserve officer on 29 July 1993 and she was promoted to lieutenant colonel effective 1 September 2009. She is currently serving on active duty in the Army Nurse Corps at Fort Lee, VA. 1. 2. She provides documentation which shows she is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. The period of certification is effective 27 March 2011 to 26 March 2016. 3. In the processing of this case an advisory opinion was obtained from the Chief of the Army Medical Department Special Pay Branch of the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG). The advisory official states: a. Requests for NPBCP are initiated by the officer through their supporting human resources office. A review of supporting documentation and available special pay and finance data indicates the applicant's NPBCP was paid during the period 27 March 2006 to 26 March 2011. It was restarted by the applicant effective 27 March 2012, with current expiration of 26 August 2016. This period is the maximum authority that office has for BCP payments in arrears. There is no previous record of submission, authorization, or payment of NPBCP for the period 27 March 2011 to 26 March 2012. b. The applicant is eligible to receive NPBCP for the 12-month period 27 March 2011 to 26 March 2012. Utilize a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance Medical Specialty (MS)-Pay-Date of 27 March 2006 for the correct pay rate level. The retroactive payment for this total period is approximately $2,000.00 prior to withholdings; the exact payment will be determined by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. 4. On 23 April 2014, the advisory opinion was furnished to the applicant for comment. She did not respond. 5. The OTSG has published policies and procedures for entitlement to board certification pay for non-physician health care providers, known as NPBCP. This pay is authorized for personnel who are not physicians but who are caregivers such as psychologists, dieticians, physical and occupational therapists, podiatrists and nurse practitioners. The annual rate of pay ranges from $2,000.00 for 10 to 12 years of service to $5,000.00 for over 18 years of service as a health professional. The authority to grant award of NPBCP to nurse practitioners is based on completion of a post Baccalaureate Degree, proof of board certification and evidence of a privilege to practice. The OTSG policies and procedures require that NPBCP cannot be awarded prior to the date the individual received privilege to practice. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The advisory official points out the applicant did not receive NPBCP for the period 27 March 2011 to 26 March 2012 and indicates she is eligible to receive NPBCP for the 12-month period using a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance MS-Pay-Date of 27 March 2006 for the correct pay rate level. 2. Based on the foregoing, it would equitable to correct the applicant's military record to show she was authorized to receive NPBCP for the period 27 March 2011 to 26 March 2012 using a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance MS-Pay-Date of 27 March 2006 for the correct pay rate level. BOARD VOTE: __X______ ___X_____ _X____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. showing she applied for NPBCP to be effective 27 March 2011 and her request was approved in a timely manner; and b. paying her NCBCP for the period 27 March 2011 through 26 March 2012 using a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance MS-Pay-Date of 27 March 2006 for the correct pay rate level as a result of this correction. __________X_______________ CHAIRPERSON I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20140005462 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20140005462 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1