thedrifter
05-23-06, 03:45 PM
TAD orders make hospital stays more flexible
By John Hoellwarth
Times staff writer
All hospitalized Marines now rate temporary assigned duty orders, giving them the benefit of a fully funded per diem allowance and lodging for the length of their recovery when hospitalized away from their duty stations, according to an April 27 Corps-wide message.
And it's not just for combat-related injuries.
The policy announced in MarAdmin 199/06 applies to Marines who are sick or injured in car crashes, training accidents or any other circumstance requiring hospitalization, according to Maj. Craig Price, entitlements officer for manpower integration and administration.
Until now, TAD orders have been inconsistent for Marines needing hospital care for fewer than 30 days. A Marine who was expected to stay longer got no TAD. That Marine's service record book was forwarded to the command nearest the hospital - often a local Reserve unit, which accepted administrative control over the recovering Marine.
That is called a transfer by service record. Like a permanent change of station, the Marine being moved can take his family with him at government expense. The only difference is that with a transfer by service record, it is assumed that the Marine is already at the intended destination - in this case a hospital - and that his service record book and family need only catch up with him there.
According to the message, administrative control of hospitalized Marines has reverted to their parent commands, which are now obligated to cut them appropriate TAD orders.
Only Marines with dependents can choose the transfer by service record instead, according to the message.
Price said retaining that option means Marines with dependents who want their family near during their recovery can be compensated for their family's relocation expenses.
For Marines with no dependents, the funded TAD orders give them more control over their living arrangement by providing money for lodging instead of relegating them to hospital grounds during recuperations that, in some cases, take years, Price said.
Under the old system, if a Marine was sent to a hospital that offered a chow hall and billeting, he received TAD orders that did not include per diem pay or lodging reimbursement, according to Price.
"What was determined is that occasionally Marines were sent to hospitals either without TAD orders or with unfunded TAD orders. That created a lot of administrative problems for the hospitalized Marines," Price said.
He said the new policy is the result of "several audits and several reviews" of the administrative issues facing hospitalized Marines over the last year.
But there is no one-size-fits-all policy. Each Marine's situation must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, which is why the emphasis of the MarAdmin message was on flexibility, Price said.
Marines on inpatient status for more than 30 days may want to transfer by service record to have their family near. Others might be on an extended outpatient status to receive treatment at a medical facility with capabilities their local hospital doesn't have. These Marines would benefit more from funded TAD orders that compensate them for their daily incidentals.
Retroactive per diem payments are not authorized for Marines who had their transfer by service record reversed in favor of TAD orders, according to the message.
By John Hoellwarth
Times staff writer
All hospitalized Marines now rate temporary assigned duty orders, giving them the benefit of a fully funded per diem allowance and lodging for the length of their recovery when hospitalized away from their duty stations, according to an April 27 Corps-wide message.
And it's not just for combat-related injuries.
The policy announced in MarAdmin 199/06 applies to Marines who are sick or injured in car crashes, training accidents or any other circumstance requiring hospitalization, according to Maj. Craig Price, entitlements officer for manpower integration and administration.
Until now, TAD orders have been inconsistent for Marines needing hospital care for fewer than 30 days. A Marine who was expected to stay longer got no TAD. That Marine's service record book was forwarded to the command nearest the hospital - often a local Reserve unit, which accepted administrative control over the recovering Marine.
That is called a transfer by service record. Like a permanent change of station, the Marine being moved can take his family with him at government expense. The only difference is that with a transfer by service record, it is assumed that the Marine is already at the intended destination - in this case a hospital - and that his service record book and family need only catch up with him there.
According to the message, administrative control of hospitalized Marines has reverted to their parent commands, which are now obligated to cut them appropriate TAD orders.
Only Marines with dependents can choose the transfer by service record instead, according to the message.
Price said retaining that option means Marines with dependents who want their family near during their recovery can be compensated for their family's relocation expenses.
For Marines with no dependents, the funded TAD orders give them more control over their living arrangement by providing money for lodging instead of relegating them to hospital grounds during recuperations that, in some cases, take years, Price said.
Under the old system, if a Marine was sent to a hospital that offered a chow hall and billeting, he received TAD orders that did not include per diem pay or lodging reimbursement, according to Price.
"What was determined is that occasionally Marines were sent to hospitals either without TAD orders or with unfunded TAD orders. That created a lot of administrative problems for the hospitalized Marines," Price said.
He said the new policy is the result of "several audits and several reviews" of the administrative issues facing hospitalized Marines over the last year.
But there is no one-size-fits-all policy. Each Marine's situation must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, which is why the emphasis of the MarAdmin message was on flexibility, Price said.
Marines on inpatient status for more than 30 days may want to transfer by service record to have their family near. Others might be on an extended outpatient status to receive treatment at a medical facility with capabilities their local hospital doesn't have. These Marines would benefit more from funded TAD orders that compensate them for their daily incidentals.
Retroactive per diem payments are not authorized for Marines who had their transfer by service record reversed in favor of TAD orders, according to the message.