Author: Joel Schofer, MD, MBA, CPE
Navy Senior Leadership Seminar (NSLS)
Navy postgraduate school |Navy Senior Leadership Seminar – August 26-30, 2024 (In Person)
Who: O-6, O-6 selects or high-potential O-5 officers who are on track for executive medicine
What: Navy Senior Leadership Seminar (NSLS)
When: August 26-30, 2024 (only 1 seat for Navy Medicine Corps)
Where: Navy Postgraduate School, Center of Executive Education – Monterey, California
Funding: Tuition is covered by NPS. Parent command will provide travel expense, lodging, and per diem. NPS will reserve a block of rooms for participants on the NPS campus at the Historic Del Monte Hotel. Nomination for the course implies the command will commit to funding the nominee if selected.
Course Description: NSLS provides senior leaders with an intensive five-day executive education program that introduces the latest “best practices” in strategic planning, goal setting, strategic communication, effects-based thinking, risk management, financial management, and innovation. Learning is enhanced using case studies, small-team exercises, practical applications, seminar-style discussions, peer learning, and faculty presentations. Participants will be introduced to subject matter experts within DoD and industry, to include insights from senior Navy leaders and academic researchers. The course is designed to prepare participants to meet organizational challenges in their current and future assignments, and to empower them to become more effective change agents and better-informed stewards of the Navy’s resources. For more information about NSLS, please visit: https://nps.edu/web/cee/nsls
Course POC: NEDPRegistrar@nps.edu
Prospective applicants: Send a combined PDF with a CV and BIO to CAPT Shauna O’Sullivan NLT 1600 Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Blended Retirement System 2025 Continuation Pay Rates
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 231752Z MAY 24 MID120001131019U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 104/24 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/MAY// SUBJ/BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM CALENDAR YEAR 2025 CONTINUATION PAY RATES// REF/A/DOC/TITLE 37 U.S.CODE SECTION 356// REF/B/DOC/DOD 7000.14R// REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/271444ZSEP16// REF/D/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/22FEB20// NARR/REF A PROVIDES LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR CONTINUATION PAY. REF B IS CHAPTER 66 OF THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION ON CONTINUATION PAY. REF C IS NAVADMIN 217/16, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE UNIFORMED SERVICES. REF D IS THE MILITARY PERSONNEL MANUAL ARTICLE 1810-081, CONTINUATION PAY FOR MEMBERS ENROLLED IN THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces the Blended Retirement System (BRS) mid-career Continuation Pay (CP) rates for Calendar Year (CY) 2025. For CY25 CP rates for Active Component is two and a half times the monthly basic pay for a Service Member of that grade who has reached 12 Years of Service (YOS). Total CP for Training and Administration of the Reserves is two and a half times the monthly basic pay for a Service Member of that grade who has reached 12 YOS. Total CP for Selected Reserve is half the monthly basic pay for a Service Member of that grade who has reached 12 YOS. 2. In line with references (a) through (d), Service Members who want to receive the mid-career CP are reminded that they must be enrolled in BRS and request CP before 12 YOS. The CP election is made via Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) which can be accessed via MyNavy Portal quick links. For Service Members who have provided NSIPS with an up-to-date email address, NSIPS will send an email notification of CP eligibility at 11 years 6 months YOS, 11 years 9 months YOS and a final reminder at 11 years 11 months YOS. Service Members who are unable to elect CP through NSIPS may manually elect CP through their command career counselor via NAVPERS 1070-613. CP information to include details on electing CP can be found in references (c) and (d). A copy of the CY25 CP rate memorandum can be found at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/Family- Readiness/Personal-Financial-Mgmt/. For any other CP issues, Service Members should reach out to MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) at 833-330-MNCC or askmncc.fct@navy.mil. 3. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, whichever occurs first. 4. Released by Vice Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman, Jr., N1.// BT #0001 NNNN CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//
Guest Post – Strategy for Establishing Disability Insurance for Military Physicians and Dentists
Becoming a military physician or dentist requires many hours of intense study and preparation. The result is an expert professional that is a combination of exacting physical and mental skills coupled with the ability to perform in stressful, sometimes life or death, situations. This ability is a military physician or dentists’ greatest asset and should be protected as such. It is imperative that military physicians and dentists establish this coverage as soon as possible, there is absolutely no advantage to waiting.
As you age your income will increase and your health will deteriorate. According to insurance statistics your chance of becoming disabled and unable to practice your chosen specialty are three times as likely at age 55 as they are at age 30. This makes it essential for military physicians and dentists to insure their current and future income. The solution is establishing a personal disability insurance policy. However, the complexity of the military pay and disability system as well as disability insurance policy contractual provisions complicates this task. Adequate protection is crucially needed since the military does not provide own occupation disability insurance. Government benefits are determined by base pay only and this gap is even larger when moonlighting income is received.
Establishing coverage requires guidance from an experienced professional insurance broker who can help you navigate the twists and turns of disability insurance and help you with unforeseen obstacles that may come up during the approval process:
- Selecting the proper company – Currently MassMutual and Lloyds are the only companies that will insure active-duty physicians and dentists. MassMutual is the first choice due to its competitive provisions. Lloyds is a better option for those with more serious health issues.
- Maximize your benefit – Military disability benefits are determined by base pay only, so it is imperative to insure all your income, including moonlighting, which can only be achieved by establishing an individual disability insurance policy.
- Utilize all discounts to which you are entitled – An experienced agent will make certain your policy includes all your income and have access to special discounts for military physicians and dentists. The discount will apply to future benefit increases.
- Timing – Apply for benefits early in your career and before any health or avocation issues arise, or receipt of deployment orders. There is absolutely no advantage to waiting. This will not exclude you or limit coverage based on medical issues.
- Include Future Insurability Option (FIO) or Benefit Increase Rider (BIR) – This benefit guarantees you will be able to increase coverage in the future, such as when you complete your military commitment and have a larger uninsured income. An experienced agent will effectively guide you in deciding if the FIO or BIR is best for you.
- Make certain to add own occupation coverage to guarantee protection in your specialty. The military does not provide this protection.
One crucial fact to be aware of when obtaining disability coverage is the medical underwriting requirement. Since military medical exams are extremely thorough and document any medical condition, it is important to establish coverage early in your medical career before any conditions or ailments appear. Depending on the medical condition you may be declined coverage, issued a policy with a waiver/exclusion for the pre-existing condition(s) or issued with an increased premium. Even a combination of the latter two is possible. This can be avoided if you apply now so you can have the protection you need later. A policy with an option that will allow you to purchase additional coverage in the future regardless of health and can be established to fit any budget. A graded premium structure can also be used for someone 35 or under to reduce the initial premium outlay for residents and medical students.
| Medical resident: | Active duty attending physician: | Active duty attending physician with moonlighting income: | |
| Base Pay: | $92,781/year | $97,536/year | $97,536/year |
| Save/specialty pay: | $8,000/year | $58,000/year | $58,000/year |
| Moonlighting pay: | – | – | $50,000/year |
| Total insurable pay: | $100,178 | $155,536 | $205,536 |
| Tax-free starting monthly disability insurance benefit: | $2,712 | $4,905 | $7,155 |
Below are some examples of the starting benefit amount a military physician/dentist can qualify for based on insurable income:
There is no better time than now to establish the type of policy you need to protect your medical or dental career in the event of disability. Thank you for your service commitment, and we look forward to helping you with this valuable protection.
DI4MDS – Andy Borgia, CLU and D.K. Unger – www.DI4MDS.com
info@di4mds.com
858-523-7529
(Note – I receive no compensation if you use DI4MDs.com. I just post the info because it is helpful, and they are the company that got me my DI policy.)
Surgeon General of the Navy – Memorial Day Message
Shipmates,
As the final Monday of May arrives, Navy Medicine joins our nation in solemn pause to remember those who died in service to our country and the families they left behind. Memorial Day is not just a marker of barbeques, summer blockbusters, televised car races, and long weekends; it’s a day dedicated to the more than one million brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
For all of you in Navy Medicine, your dedication mirrors the heroism we honor and is the greatest tribute. You serve on the front lines, not just in wartime, but EVERY DAY. You mend broken bodies, comfort grieving families, and keep our forces healthy and deployable. You carry the weight of this responsibility, knowing that your actions can mean the difference between life and death.
This Memorial Day, let us reflect on the legacy of those who came before us. Their courage and devotion remind us of the sacred trust we hold—to ensure the well-being of our warfighters, wherever they serve.
Every fallen hero has a story, and it is our duty to remember those who served and died for our freedom. Let us continue to push the boundaries of medical care, offering the best possible support to those who defend our nation.
As we honor our American heroes this Memorial Day, I extend my deepest gratitude to every member of Navy Medicine. Your unwavering compassion, expertise, and commitment are a cornerstone of America’s Navy’s strength!
SG #40, Corpsman Up!
RADM Darin K. Via
Medical Corps, United States Navy
Navy Surgeon General
Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Memorial Day Weekend Message from ASDHA
Colleagues,
As many in our country prepare to welcome summer this weekend, those of us privileged to work in the
Military Health System know that Memorial Day is much more than an extra day off. We take this time to
remember the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in service so that we might remain a free
people. As Secretary Austin said last year at this time, “we hold in our hearts all those who fell to defend
the country that they loved.” Please take a few moments this weekend to reflect on the gratitude we
owe these fallen heroes.
In recent years we have come to more fully recognize that taking care of our people means treating
mental health with the same vigor and attention as physical health. May is Mental Health Awareness
month and I’d like to call attention to the many initiatives within the Department of Defense to advance
mental health care.
We offer a variety of behavioral health (BH) support services and resources. BH services are offered
through military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) and the private sector care network. Available
services include primary care BH, specialty BH, and alcohol and substance use programs as well as
inpatient hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Services available outside the MTFs include
Military and Family Life Counseling, Military OneSource, Family Advocacy Program, and inTransition, to
name a few.
The Targeted Care model helps the DoD provide mental health support for service members’ specific
needs, whether it is an individual appointment, group therapy or non-clinical support. It coordinates all
installation resources resulting in increased access to care, reduced wait times for mental health
appointments, increased readiness, and getting the right care at the right time through earlier
intervention. Results from the Targeted Care pilot validated increased BH access to care for those with
higher clinical needs and efficient use of other medical and non-medical helping resources. Beyond the
pilot sites, which are now in sustainment, there are eight additional early adopters and the Defense
Health Agency is currently working toward MHS enterprise adoption.
I am proud of these efforts, while acknowledging that we must always press forward to do more to meet
the mental health needs of our beneficiaries. I thank all of you who are involved in mental health care
for your commitment to this important priority.
I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy Memorial Day.
Very Respectfully,
Lester
Lester Martínez-López, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 