IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 25 August 2022 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20210015613 APPLICANT REQUESTS: Payment of his Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Health Professions Officer Incentive Pay (HPO IP). APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * The American Board of Internal Medicine Diploma * Privileged Provider Information Report * Medical License FACTS: 1. The applicant states, in pertinent part, that he has been Board certified since October 2019 but has not received his incentive special pay due to a possible clerical error wherein his status was never changed from Internal Medicine Resident with an annual special pay of $8,000.00 to Staff Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician with an annual special pay or $43,000.00. 2. A review of the available service records reflects the following: a. On 16 December 2011, the applicant was appointed as a Reserve commissioned officer and executed an oath of office. b. On 10 June 2016, the applicant was appointed as a Regular Army commissioned officer in the Medical Corps, executed an oath of office and continues to serve. c. The AMEDD Special Pay Memorandum, dated 28 September 2017, reflects request and approval for HPO IP as an Internal Medicine Intern, effective 1 October 2017, in the amount of $8,000.00 annually/prorated monthly. d. The U.S. Army Medical Department issued him a certificate for completion of Internal Medicine Residency Training from the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center form 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2019. e. He was issued the American Board of Internal Medicine Certified Diplomate in Internal Medicine as of 2019. 3. The applicant provides: a. Privileged Provider Information Report, issued by Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, reflective of his privilege category for Internal Medicine, for dates 3 September 2019 through 2 September 2021. b. Medical License showing he was unrestricted practicing physician. 4. On 9 May 2022, the Chief, AMEDD Special Pay Branch, Office of the Surgeon General, provided an advisory opinion stating the applicant is eligible for the requested HPO IP effective date of 1 October 2019. He received the standard Residency HPO IP at a rate of $666.00/month for the period 1 October 2019 to 29 August 2021. He also received the Specialty HPO IP for the period 30 August 2021 to present at a rate of $3,583.33/month. The total Residency HPO IP received for the 10 month and 29 day period is $7,311.03 and will be deducted from the $39,297.21 for the Specialty HPO IP. The total amount he is expected to receive is $31,986.18. The exact arrears compensation is to be determined by Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS-IN). 5. On 12 May 2022, the applicant was provided with a copy of the advisory opinion to provide a response. As of 27 May 2022, he did not respond. BOARD DISCUSSION: 1. After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found relief is warranted. 2. The Board concurred with the conclusion of the advisory official that the applicant was eligible for Specialty HPO IP effective 1 October 2019, but did not receive this rate of incentive pay until nearly 2 years later. Based on a preponderance of the evidence, the Board determined the applicant’s record should be corrected to show he contracted for Specialty HPO IP effective 1 October 2019 and he should be paid any retroactive incentive pay he is due as a result of this correction. BOARD VOTE: Mbr 1 Mbr 2 Mbr 3 :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 showing he contracted for Specialty HPO IP effective 1 October 2019. He should be paid any retroactive incentive pay he is due as a result of this correction. 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. REFERENCES: 1. Title 37 United States Code, section 335 (Special bonus and incentive pay authorities for officers in health professions) states The Secretary concerned may pay incentive pay under this section to an officer in a regular or reserve component of a uniformed service who— a. Is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of this title or compensation under section 206 of this title; and b. Is serving on active duty or in an active status in a designated health profession specialty or skill. 2. Memorandum, Subject: Health Professions Special Pay and Incentive Pay Plan for Fiscal Year 2019 states a fully qualified post-resident internal medicine physician is authorized HPO IP at the rate of $43,000.00 annually prorated monthly. 3. Army Regulation 37-104-4 (Military Pay and Allowances), states, only the Director, DFAS–IN may make settlement actions affecting the military pay accounts of soldiers as a result of correction of records by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) per provisions of AR 15–185. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20210015613 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1