Can you receive back pay for taking your dependents to off post appointments that are far away?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:36:04 -0400

due to his health issues he can't drive so I had to drive him to appointments thats hrs away. Can you get back paid for this?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2021 3:52 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:52:27 -0400

Back pay? No. There is a thing called medical TDY and the unit can fund a person to drive a Soldier or dependent to a long distance appointment.

The unit can grant you use of the TMP to drive the Soldier. There is absolutely no reason why you should be using your own gas and car to drive someone else to their appointment and if you are that's a discussion you need to have with your 1SG.

As for the driving part, you can be tasked to drive whatever vehicle the unit has for you to drive

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Sep 21 at 2021 4:38 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:38:50 -0400

What back pay, your salary is set. If you are looking for travel type pay or support SFC Boyd laid it out perfectly.

Response by SGT Dan Theman made Sep 21 at 2021 4:45 PM

SGT Dan Theman — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:45:34 -0400

Just to ask is he serving or a veteran receiving health care at a VA facility.
Back pay for travel mileage is generally never paid as your have to claim it at time of travel at the VA facility. If it’s at a civilian medial faculty you have to file mileage reimbursement by mail or online. Additionally if you are speaking of “your caregiver back pay for driving” you’ll have to speak to transportation as that’s not usually back paid.
I hope this helps

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2021 4:56 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:56:58 -0400

It's called non-medical attendant. Your base hospital should have posted on their website about the travel authorization for non-medical attendants. I found IACH has a page about it, for example.

AR 40-400 dated 8 Jul 2014 also covers non-medical attendant authorization and funding:
2–6. Authorization and funding for medical and non-medical attendant travel of AD Soldiers, Family
members, and retirees
a. Patients who are required to travel for medical care not locally available may be reimbursed for their expenses based on provisions of the Joint Federal Travel Regulation (JFTR). All medical and non-medical attendant (NMA) travel requires prior approval by the MTF or by the TRICARE Network for those patients enrolled outside the MTF.
b. CONUS medical/NMA travel is governed by the TRICARE Prime Travel Benefit Program. JFTR U7960B authorizes reimbursement for medical and NMA travel if the beneficiary is required to travel more than 100 miles for nonemergent specialty care. The Prime travel benefit does not apply OCONUS; the Overseas Travel benefit (JFTR U5240-C) applies. A comprehensive listing of medical travel benefits for CONUS and OCONUS is located at https://pad.amedd.army.mil.
c. An AD Soldier may be reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses while serving as an NMA, when recommended by a medical provider. The Soldier’s commander determines if and for how long a member may perform NMA duties. NMA duties may be performed in an ordinary leave status, funded temporary duty (TDY), or permissive TDY.
d. The reimbursement cost of commercial or privately owned transportation and per diem for Army AD Soldiers and required attendants for the purpose of providing outpatient medical or dental care is chargeable to the operating funds of the unit to which the member is assigned.
e. TDRL retirees who are required to travel for their periodic examinations are funded by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (AHRC) and authorized under JFTR U7251. Headquarters, U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency must authorize the travel of the TDRL retiree and any required attendant.

It has to be 100 miles or more (one way) from your base. I did this back in 2014-2015 after my daughter was in the hospital for a month her second admission in Omaha, NE when I was stationed at Ft Riley, KS. She had to go to Omaha for specialty care that they didn't have on Riley and the closest Children's hospital was either Omaha or KC. I also ended up with a compassionate reassignment to Offutt AFB because of all her stuff after that.

I found out about it after her PCM at Riley told me about it. IACH (the hospital there) did approve it retroactively; not all base hospitals will. But since I got the compassionate it was in the process of being processed so I got it after I PCSed. I don't remember exactly how much I got but I think it paid per diem and would have paid lodging too if I hadn't stayed in the hospital. Actually it wasn't retroactive. I filled everything out right after we got back from that month long admission after her PCM told me about NMA.

Here's what IACH said for non-medical attendants for dependents OR if an active duty soldier is referred to outpatient treatment and needs a NMA but has no family. (The unit has to assign and fund the NMA travel). Just as fyi how that hospital does it since the NMAs get processed through the hospitals.

Retroactive payment for referral specialty care that already happened and was over 100 miles one way - that's up to your hospital if they want to do it.. You should go to the Patient Advocacy office at your MTF.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Sep 21 at 2021 5:45 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 17:45:26 -0400

Did TriCare approve the appointments