Commissioned Corps Management Information Site

When do Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) graduates become eligible for a Retention Bonus (RB)?

A USUHS graduate becomes eligible for an RB seven years after completion of initial residency, essentially year seven of the ten year active duty obligation.

The new policy made me eligible for Health Professions Special Pays (HPSP). What is the earliest date that I can submit an agreement and establish an effective date for pay?

The earliest effective date is 01 January 2020 provided that the provisions of POM 821.70 are met regarding submission of HPSP agreements to Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ).

If I am receiving Incentive Pay (IP)/Retention Bonus (RB), when must I submit the Form PHS-7047 to document practice hours?

Officers receiving IP/RB, with an effective date of 01 January - 01 June have until 1 September 2020, to submit their practice hours to CCHQ. Other officers must submit their practice hours on their anniversary date. Hours performed in 2019 may be used provided they were performed in the 12 months prior to the officer’s anniversary date; the anniversary date is the effective date of the personnel orders that started the special pay. However, for officers receiving RB only, the requirement to submit proof of 80 practice hours does not apply to RB agreements initiated prior to 1 September 2020. However, it is expected that an officer maintain the consistent and ongoing practice of his/her specialty in order to maintain his/her specialty skills and to remain eligible for a subsequent RB.

Can an officer choose not to receive IP/RB?

Yes, officers may choose not to submit special pay agreements. However, when an IP agreement has been approved, officers must complete the practice hours requirement. Officers who choose not to receive special pays still must meet the Conditions of Service.

How is the anniversary date determined? Based on fiscal year, calendar year?

The anniversary date is the effective date on the personnel order for the special pay. Refer to POM 821.70, “HPSP Submission, Effective dates, and Subspecialty Rates.”

For the CY2020 submission, are officers certifying practice hours completed between 1/1/2019 to 1/1/2020? Or from a year after the actual signature date?

CCHQ recommends that specific questions related to when practice hours should be submitted based on anniversary dates of special pays, should be referred to the officer’s agency liaison.

Will pharmacists need to submit the IP paperwork annually or will it be renewed automatically like it was done in 2019?

Yes. It will be renewed automatically however if there is a change in the rates you will need to submit a new agreement.

Were there any changes to the pay rates in accordance with CCI 633.01, “Special Pays?”

No.

What do I do if I think that my HPSP payment is incorrect?

Officers should speak with their agency liaison about their concern. If the issue isn’t resolved officers must submit a pay inquiry to Financial Services Branch (FSB) requesting validation of HPSP payment through the liaison, and provide supporting documents (earning statement, HPSP agreements, etc.)

What is the HPSP appeal process?

Section 6-8., of CCI 633.01,”Special Pays,” establishes an HPSP Review Board that only accepts appeals under three specific conditions. These conditions include:

Termination of active agreements under specific circumstances, such as failure to be recommended for promotion, failure to maintain conditions of service, misconduct, etc. (6-7.d);
A recommendation by the OPDIV/STAFFDIV to not pay an HPSP. (6-2.f); and
Termination of active agreements, or denial of HPSP eligibility, for officers in non-duty with pay status. (6-2.i. (2)).

What happens if I decide to leave the Corps or terminate my HPSP agreement prior to completing the full Active Duty Obligation (ADO)?

The Corps does not allow officers with an ADO to retire voluntarily, officers must serve on active duty through the end of their established ADO. Officers that termination HPSP agreements and separate from PHS, will incur a debt to the United States Government and be subject to the full repayment of the debt per the provisions of 37 U.S.C. §373.

What happens if I try to leave my Agency/OPDIV/Program while serving my Active Duty Obligation (ADO) from special pay?

The Corps cannot permanently reassign or transfer an officer receiving AB or CWS-AB outside of his/her current OPDIV/STAFFDIV/non-Health and Human Services (HHS) organization without approval of the ASH.

Did the Corps just change its special pays policy? Why is it changing again?

The Corps issued the last version of CCI 633.01,” Special Pays” policy on April 3, 2019. CCHQ decided to revisit this policy in response to concerns raised by Corps officers. CCHQ wants to better align HSPS with that of the Department of Defense (DoD).The updates will make the Corps more attractive to Nurse Midwives, Therapists, and Dietitians.

What are the specific special pay changes?

The key changes to the updated CCI 633.01 Special Pays” are outlined in section 5 Summary of Revisions and Updates.

Several key changes include: The Corps has changed the RB policy to align more closely with DoD. This means that officers in training and fulfilling their Active Duty Obligations (ADOs) from training will become eligible to receive RBs under many circumstances.

Certified nurse midwives are now authorized to receive RB. The new policies add additional clinical recognized boards for dietitians and therapists so they can receive BCIP. Officers must complete their 80 practice hours to receive new IP or RB agreements. Changes to BCIP certification prevent officers from receiving a BCIP in a professional field other than the one that serves as the officers’ qualifying degree unless formally changed.

How should I plan my training and my special pays contracts to get the most possible time in special pays?

An officer who knows he/she will attend clinical education and training should enter into an HPSP agreement prior to starting the education or training program, so that the ADOs is severed concurrently. HPSP agreement entered into while in or after education and training results in ADOs being served consecutively. This means that there will be a time when the money from the special pay has ended, but you cannot obtain a new RB until fulfilling the ADO. Non-clinical education or training opportunities, result in concurrent ADOs regardless of when entered into.

Can an officer receive more than one special pay and serve the Active Duty Obligation (ADO) concurrently?

All HPSP agreements can be served concurrently with the exception that an officer may NOT receive RB while serving an AB or CWS-AB period of obligated service. An eligible officer may receive an IP and BCIP at the same time as an RB and serve the ADO concurrently.

What types of my Active Duty Obligation (ADO) are concurrent? What types are consecutive?

An officer with a three-year RB agrees to stay in the Corps for three years and receives the retention bonus pay for each of these three years. However, if officers are participating in clinical education or training or fulfilling an ADO for clinical education or training when he/she starts a new RB agreement the new RB ADO is consecutive. Meaning that the officer receives RB pay but does not serve the RB ADO until after completing the ADO for the clinical education or training. In this case, the RB and the ADOs are not synchronized.

I am serving an Active Duty Obligation (ADO) currently, how do the changes in CCI 633.01, “Special Pays” affect me?

In the past, officers serving an ADO could not obtain an RB. Under the new policy officers may enter into RB agreements (graduates of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USUHS), may enter into an agreement after completing seven of the initial 10 year ADO). The RB ADO is added to the clinical education ADO and served consecutively for USUHS graduates as well as for those that apply for in RB while in or after completing clinical education or training. ADOs for nonclinical education or training are served concurrently (at the same time) as the RB ADO.

I was in long-term training on 30 December 2019, how do the changes in CCI 633.01, “Special Pays” affect me?

Previously, the Corps did not allow officers in training to receive a RB. However, under the new rules, officers who are in training on 30 December 2019, can enter into a RB agreement.

I am not in training nor serving an ADO from training and do not fall into any of the new categories. How do the changes in CCI 633.01, “Special Pays” affect me?

If your current special pay agreement requires you to meet the annual requirement of 80 practice hours on your agreement’s anniversary date, you have until 1 June, 2020 (or your actual anniversary date, whichever is later) to produce this documentation.

I have an existing RB special pays agreement, what changes affect this?

Officers who already have a signed special pay agreement will find that the agreement continues without a change. All subsequent RB agreements are subject to provisions of the new policy.

What do I do if I am eligible for special pays in a new category?

If an officer is in a new category and has been appointed to that category through the category specific appointment standards, then they should follow the eligibility procedures for applying for special pays as outlined in CCI 633.01, “Special Pays.”

What new Boards are now recognized for Board Certification Incentive Pay?

The Corps now recognizes credentials from the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators, National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Board of Audiology. Changes to BCIP certification limit officers to the professional field that served as the officer’s qualifying degree for the category in which the officer was appointed unless he/she changes his/her category.

What new specialties are now eligible for a Retention Bonus (RB)?

The Corps has made Certified Nurse Midwives eligible for an RB.

Who is eligible for special pays?

The eligibility criteria for officers to receive special pays is outlined in Sections 6-2 through 6-6 of CCI 633.01, “Special Pays”. Additionally, officers are eligible for special pays if their respective categories are authorized for special pays (Refer to Appendix A to F).

How has the HPSP policy changed?

The Corps has changed the RB policy to align more closely with the DoD equivalent. This means that officers in training and fulfilling their Active Duty Obligations (ADO) from training will become eligible to receive RBs under many circumstances. The Corps added Certified Nurse Midwives to the list of eligible categories for RB. The new policy adds Therapist and Dietitians to the list of eligible categories for BCIP. Officers are required to complete 80 practice hours to receive RB for agreements entered into 1 September 2020 or later. Changes to BCIP certification prevent officers from receiving a BCIP in a professional field other than the ones that serves as the officers’ qualifying degree unless formally changed.

Which policies govern Health Professions Special Pays (HPSP)?

Commissioned Corps Directive (CCD) 151.05, “Health Professions Special Pays,” provides broad policy on HPSP, including what is required by legislation, and the broad policy, authority, and responsibilities; Commissioned Corps Instruction (CCI) 633.01, “Special Pays,” prescribes the plan of action for carrying out the directive; and The Personnel Operations Memorandum (POM) 821.70 provides additional guidance to the practice hours requirement necessary for special pays.

Is the 80 practice hours requirement based on a calendar or rolling year of anniversary date of my special pay?

In accordance with Section 6-2.h. of CCI 633.01, “Special Pays” officers who entered an RB agreement prior to 01 September 2020 do not have to submit practice hours for the duration of that agreement. The requirement to submit proof of 80 practice hours does not apply to RB agreements initiated prior to 01 September 2020. However, it is expected that an officer maintains the consistent and ongoing practice of his/her specialty in order to maintain his/her specialty skills and to remain eligible for a subsequent RB. Starting on 01 September 2020, in order to initiate a new two/three/four year RB agreement, an officer must submit documentation that demonstrates proof that he/she has performed a minimum of 80 practice hours, as defined by the SG in a POM, during the previous two/three/four years in his/her discipline or specialty for which the RB agreement is authorized.

Where do I locate my anniversary date?

The anniversary date may be found on an officer’s personnel order that starts the special pay.

Do clinical hours completed in 2019 count only for that same year? For hours required by 1 September 2020, can the officer use hours completed in 2019, 2020, or both? Or do hours from the previous year count for the current one?

In accordance with Section 5.a.(1)-(3) of POM 821.77, officers must validate their practice hours. Normally, officers receiving IP/RB must validate their practice hours before entering an IP/RB agreement, and then every 12 months thereafter from the effective date of their agreement (i.e., anniversary date). However, for 2019 hours, officers have until 1 September 2020 or their anniversary date, whichever is later, to report their hours. So officers can count hours from 2019 and in 2020 before 1 September or their anniversary date. Practice hours performed after 1 September 2020 or their anniversary date, whichever is later, may be used for 2021 submission for 2020 hours. See examples in the table below:

Practice Hours for RB Only
	Start date of RB (example)	Period to complete hours to submit for 2020 deadline (based on example date)	2020 PHS 7047 deadline (based on example)	Period to complete hours to submit for 2021 deadline (based on example date)	2021 PHS 7047 deadline (based on example)
RB only 2/3/4 year agreement date before 8/31/20	9/1/19	RB agreements signed before 9/1/20 do not require submission of practice hours. However, the Corps expects officers maintain the consistent and ongoing practice of their specialty in order to maintain specialty skills and remain eligible for a subsequent RB.
RB only 2/3/4 year agreement date on or after 9/1/20	9/1/20	Officer’s first deadline would be a year from the agreement date. In this case 9/1/21.	In order to initiate new/renewed RB agreements on or after 9/1/20, officer must demonstrate proof of having performed a minimum of 80 practice hours during the previous 2/3/4 years.* In subsequent years, officers will submit practice hours on anniversary date.

* Officers only have to show years after 9/1/2020 or the date they joined the Corps, whichever is later.

Officers who do not receive IP or RB and are in Primary Code 81 billet (clinical) or a Clinical Deployment Role have from January 1 to December 31, 2020, to certify and validate their practice hours by submitting Form PHS-7047. For these officers, they must complete their hours within the calendar year. See example table below:

Practice Hours for non-HPSP recipients (Primary Code 81 or Clinical Deployment Role)
Period to complete deadline for 2020 hours	2020 PHS 7047 deadline	Period to complete deadline for 2021 hours	2021 PHS 7047 deadline
1/1/19 - 12/31/20	12/31/20	1/1/21 - 12/31/21	12/31/21

What are the practice hours requirement for an officer with an RB agreement entered into on or after 01 June 2020?

An officer must submit evidence of practice hours on Form PHS-7047 upon entering a new RB agreement and on each anniversary of the agreement thereafter.

Also, starting on 1 September 2020, in order to initiate a new two/three/four year RB agreement, an officer must submit documentation that demonstrates proof that he/she has performed a minimum of 80 practice hours, as defined by the SG in a POM, during the previous two/three/four years in his/her discipline or specialty for which the RB agreement is authorized. However, if fewer than two/three/four years have passed since 1 September 2020, the officer is only obligated to produce evidence showing practice hours since 1 September 2020 or since he/she was commissioned in the Corps, whichever is later.

What are the practice hours requirements for an RB agreement entered into prior to 01 September 2020?

Officers who entered an RB agreement prior to 01 September 2020 do not have to submit practice hours for the duration of that RB agreement. However, if the officer is receiving an IP, the practice hours must be submitted on Form PHS-7047 on the anniversary of the effective date on the personnel orders authorizing the IP.

Do I qualify for an AB if I hold a Ready Reserve Commission?

No, Per CCD 151.05 an officer who holds a commission in the Ready Reserve Corps is ineligible for an AB.

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