Commissioned Corps Management Information Site

What is Assignment Pay (AP)?

AP is an incentive to officers who are assigned to specific duty locations in order to maintain continuity of the missions at these locations. Based on the eligibility criteria and rates established by the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) the Surgeon General determines the specific rate tables.

What has changed for Assignment Pay?

Assignment Pay has shifted to an agreement model much like Health Professions Special Pay. Eligible officers must sign an agreement that they will stay in their AP-eligible assignment in return for the AP. Specific changes include:

Previous Policy	New Revised Policy
Does not require a contract or agreement.	Authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) to require an officer to enter into an agreement in order to receive AP.
Limits specialties to those that provide clinical patient care and are in specific critical need specialties.	Authorizes the ASH to designate non-clinical categories, professions, or specialties as eligible to receive AP. POM 821.79 includes those locations, specialties, and positions that are eligible to receive AP.
Includes Health Professional Shortage Area designation and score as a factor that the ASH must consider in designating a profession as eligible for AP.	Removes the Health Professional Shortage Area.
Does not have a Commissioned Corps Instruction (CCI)	Adds a new CCI 633.06, “Assignment Duty Pay.”
Does not have a Personnel Operations Memorandum (POM)	Adds a new POM 821.79, “Assignment Pay Locations & Rates,” that includes Assignment Pay Locations, Specialties, and Monthly Rates.

Who determines the AP amounts and the professions/specialties eligible for AP?

The Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) will determine the amount of AP for specific locations and categories, professions, and/or specialties.

What are the eligibility criteria to receive AP?

An officer must meet the following criteria to receive AP:

Entitled to basic pay;
Be in pay grade O-6 or below;
Continually meet the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps’ conditions of service;
Hold current license and/or credential, if required, for the designated category, profession, or specialty;
Hold a clinical billet with direct hands-on patient care or oversee the provision of direct hands-on patient care or hold a billet that supports the clinical health care mission of the USPHS Commissioned Corps;
Have satisfactory performance rating on the most recent annual COER;
Not be under investigation for allegations of unacceptable performance, misconduct, or have any current or pending administrative and/or disciplinary actions; and
Not have received a recommendation against a temporary/permanent promotion during most recent promotion cycle.

How are eligible locations for AP and AP amounts determined?

The USPHS Commissioned Corps uses the Isolated/Hardship Award (ISOHAR) status to evaluate the following factors to designate an AP location and amount:

The geographic remoteness of the location;
The availability of adequate secondary level of medical care and other services; and
The historic vacancy rates for clinical positions in the specified categories, professions, or specialties.

Is a Ready Reserve Corps officer eligible for AP?

The USPHS Commissioned Corps may pay a Ready Reserve Corps officer AP for periods that the member is on active duty, is entitled to basic pay, and meets the criteria for AP.

Is an AP agreement required?

Yes, an officer must enter into a written agreement to serve on active duty for a specified period in order to receive monthly payments of AP.

What is specified in an AP agreement?

The agreement must specify, at a minimum, the method of payment, the period of obligated service, the location at which the officer must serve the obligation, the position in which the officer must serve the obligation, and the type or conditions of the service.

When can officers start applying for AP agreements?

Officers can start applying for AP agreements when this policy is posted. If there is a delay in processing agreements or adding agreements to the payroll system, the USPHS Commissioned Corps will provide back pay starting from the effective date of the agreement.

How was AP determined?

While developing the updates to the AP policies the USPHS Commissioned Corps communicated with and collaborated with each of the agencies who are the primary providers of clinical health services to vulnerable and underserved populations to establish the basic principles of AP. These agencies include the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and Immigration Health Services Corps (IHSC).

How is AP paid?

AP is paid on a monthly basis and is pro-rated for partial months.

What agencies must an officer be assigned to be eligible for AP?

In order to receive AP a Regular Corps officer must meet each of the eligibility criteria in accordance with CCI 633.06 “Assignment Duty Pay” including assignment to the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), or Immigration Health Services Corps (IHSC), and be assigned to a position and location that requires a specified category/profession/specialty or be assigned to a specified Leadership/Multidisciplinary Position and location.

Can an officer receive Assignment Pay and Special Pay at the same time?

An officer may receive AP and any of the Health Professions Special Pays (i.e., Accession Bonus (AB), Critical Short Wartime Specialty Accession Bonus (CWS-AB), Retention Bonus (RB), Incentive Pay (IP), and Board Certification Incentive Pay (BCIP)) for the same period of obligated service; the resulting Active Duty Obligations (ADOs) are served concurrently.

What is Isolated/Hardship Award (ISOHAR) status?

The USPHS Commissioned Corps designates specific locations as ISOHAR sites in accordance with CCI 511.01, “Awards Program.”

What are the requirements of a location for an officer to receive AP?

For purposes of AP, a site must have a 2-year vacancy rate that is above 15% or 30% for a critical need category, profession, specialty, and/or Leadership/Multidisciplinary Position.

Is an officer in a non-duty status eligible for AP?

No. An officer is not eligible for AP when:

The officer has used an excessive (60 or more consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days in a 6-month period) amount of sick leave, other than maternity leave; and/or
The officer is in a non-duty with pay status in accordance with CCI 611.03, “Nonduty With Pay Status.”

What happens to my AP pay if the rate changes for my category?

If an AP rate changes, the USPHS Commissioned Corps will continue to pay AP for the remaining obligation period of an existing agreement.

What are the time commitments and position assignment for an officer to receive AP?

An officer must agree to remain on active duty for a two, three, or four year period in the position assignment that provides direct hands-on clinical patient care, oversees the provision of direct hands-on patient care, directly supports the clinical health care mission of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, or is a Leadership/Multidisciplinary Position.

Under what circumstances may an AP agreement be terminated?

UAn AP agreement may be terminated under the following circumstances:

Promotion of an officer to the O-7 grade or higher;
Separation from active duty (i.e., disability separation/retirement; death; termination of commission);
Involuntary retirement (other than for disability);
Separation/retirement for convenience of the Government;
Board (IRB, ITB, BOI, or other administrative board) recommendation to terminate AP;
Failure to be recommended for temporary or permanent promotion;
Misconduct;
Less than satisfactory rating on most recent annual COER; or
Officer enters a non-duty with pay status that exceeds 120 days.

How do you submit an AP agreement?

An officer submits an AP agreement, in pdf format, electronically using the officer’s official e-mail account assigned by the officer’s agency or a secure portal available within the assigned agency. The AP agreement is then submitted to the officer’s supervisor for electronic signature. Upon receipt of the AP agreement with the supervisor’s signature, the officer electronically submits the agreement to his/her USPHS Commissioned Corps Liaison.

On the AP agreement (form PHS-7086), how do I specify the effective date for when I want my agreement to begin?

The USPHS Commissioned Corps is in the process of modifying to form to include a field for the effective date as part of line B. If your copy of the form does not have this, please add the date manually after the period in line B.

If I am currently assigned to an AP eligible site and meet all eligibility requirements, what do I put for my agreement’s effective date?

In this case, assuming you meet all eligibility requirements, your effective date is the date you became eligible for AP provided the completed agreement is signed within 30 days of becoming eligible and the agreement is received by CCHQ within 60 days of becoming eligible. So, you became eligible on the date the policy was signed (January 18, 2021). If you sign the agreement within 30 days (March 1-31, 2021) and CCHQ receives the agreement within 60 days of your signing date, then CCHQ will process your payment within 90 days of receiving the agreement (or the date of receiving any necessary supporting paperwork). Your effective date would be February 1.

However, if you sign the agreement after April 1, 2021, your effective date becomes the date you signed the agreement (if CCHQ receives it by May 1, 2021) or the date CCHQ receives it (if after May 1, 2021). Note that you can always request a later date.

If I am not currently at an AP eligible site but later PCS or CAD to one, what do I put as my agreement’s effective date?

Assuming you meet all the other eligibility requirements, you meet the AP criteria as of the date of Notice of Arrival. If you sign the agreement within 30 days of the Notice of Arrival and CCHQ receives your agreement within 60 days of your Notice of Arrival, then CCHQ will process your payment within 90 days of receiving the agreement (or the date of receiving any necessary supporting paperwork). Your effective date would be the date of your Notice of Arrival.

However, if you sign the agreement more than 30 days from the Notice of Arrival than the effective date becomes the date you signed the agreement (if CCHQ receives it within 60 days from the Notice of Arrival) or the date CCHQ receives the agreement (if more than 60 days from the Notice of Arrival). Note that you can always request a later date.

What happens if my supervisor recommends against payment of AP?

If an officer’s supervisor recommends against payment of AP, the supervisor must contact the Agency’s USPHS Commissioned Corps Liaison for guidance.

What does the USPHS Commissioned Corps Liaison do upon receipt of an AP agreement from an officer?

Upon receipt of an AP agreement, the USPHS Commissioned Corps Liaison will:

Ensure that the agency’s budget official/certifying official electronically signs the agreement;
Electronically submit the agreement to Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ); and
Contact CCHQ for guidance if the agency believes the officer is ineligible for AP or recommends against payment of AP.

Can I sign an AP agreement using a digital signature?

Yes, CCHQ will accept digital signatures that are authenticated with an officer’s Department of Defense (DoD) issued Common Access Card (CAC) or a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card that is issued by the officer’s agency.

Does an AP agreement require a digital signature?

No, a hand-written signature may be used on an AP agreement in lieu of a digital signature if authorized by the officer’s agency.

When do AP payments begin?

Payment of AP will typically begin within 90 days of receipt of the completed agreement in CCHQ or within 90 days after CCHQ receives any necessary supporting documentation. However, if there is a delay in processing agreements or adding agreements to the payroll system, the USPHS Commissioned Corps will provide back pay starting from the effective date of the agreement.

Can an AP agreement’s effective date be backdated?

Maybe. Backdating an AP agreement is not authorized except in extraordinary and unusual circumstances as determined by Director, CCHQ.

Do revisions to POM 821.79 change who can receive Assignment Pay (AP)?

Revisions to this POM does not change the agencies that award AP to USPHS Commissioned Corps officers – the Indian Health Service (IHS), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and Immigration Health Services Corps (IHSC). The updates do specify which sites qualify for AP (removing some and adding others), the specialties at each site that qualify for AP, and some of the rates. See Appendix A of the POM for the specific rate tables.

How does CCHQ determine changes to the sites and rates?

In developing the updates to the AP POM, the USPHS Commissioned Corps works with BOP, IHS, and IHSC to collect the data for the sites, compute the two-year vacancy rate for all categories at each site, and determine which sites and which professions and positions met the criteria for different AP rates defined in Section 6-4 of CCI 633.06.

What happens to my AP pay if the rate changes for my category?

If an AP rate changes, the USPHS Commissioned Corps will continue to pay AP for the remaining obligation period of an existing agreement. However, any new AP agreement with an effective date on or after the revised POM’s effective date, will use the new rates.

What happens to my AP rate if my profession/position no longer qualifies for AP at my site?

If your profession or position no longer qualifies for AP, you will continue to receive AP according to any existing agreement but cannot renew your agreement, or make a new agreement, as long as your profession or position no longer qualifies for AP at your site. However, you may renegotiate your agreement at the old rates before the new rates go into effect (agreement’s effective date must be earlier than the effective date of the new rates).

What happens if my agency reassigns me to a different position?

If an officer is reassigned out of the position/billet that served as the basis for payment of AP, the officer’s current AP agreement and payment is terminated on the effective date of the officer’s position change and the officer must repay the unearned portion of AP. The officer can then request a new agreement if the new position meets the requirements in CCI 633.06.

However, the 2022 update to the POM allows the liaison to request a waiver to continue the officer’s existing assignment pay without needing a new agreement under the specific circumstances defined in Section 8 involving:

Change of location within the same service unit;
Change in officer’s role/job duties within the specialty that qualifies for AP;
Change in officer’s location due to a change in the ownership or management of the officer’s previous location (as long as the new location pays the same AP for the officer’s specialty).
Change in officer’s location (even to a non-AP site) due to the closure of a facility if there is no AP location within a reasonable commuting distance.

How often will the AP POM be updated?

CCHQ will update POM 821.79 annually with new sites and rates based on yearly data sent by the agencies.

Can I sign an AP agreement using a digital signature?

Yes, CCHQ will accept digital signatures that are authenticated with an officer’s Department of Defense (DoD) issued Common Access Card (CAC) or a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card that is issued by the officer’s agency.

Does an AP agreement require a digital signature?

No, a hand-written signature may be used on an AP agreement in lieu of a digital signature if authorized by the officer’s agency.

When do AP payments begin?

Payment of AP will typically begin within 90 days of receipt of the completed agreement in CCHQ or within 90 days after CCHQ receives any necessary supporting documentation. However, if there is a delay in processing agreements or adding agreements to the payroll system, the USPHS Commissioned Corps will provide back pay starting from the effective date of the agreement.

FAQ for Assignment Pay (Based on CCD 151.06 Assignment Pay)

FAQ for Assignment Duty Pay (Based on CCI 633.06 Assignment Duty Pay)

FAQ for Assignment Pay Locations and Rates (Based on POM 821.79 Assignment Pay Locations and Rates)

FAQ for 2022 version of POM 821.79, “Assignment Pay Locations, Rates, and Agreements”

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