Board Certification
Medical Corps CME/MOC Funding – End of FY – Non-Travel Submissions Due 23 SEP 2022 | Travel Related Funding Due 16 SEP 2022
Medical Corps CME Funding: The end of the Fiscal Year 2022 is approaching. All Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and Non-Travel related Certification Examination funding requests must be submitted to the Navy CME Office by 23 September 2022. Any travel related funding request must be sent to the Navy CME office by 16 September 2022.
In accordance with BUMEDINST 1500.20A, NAVMEDPRODEVCTR will not authorize funding for MOCs or exams taken in prior fiscal years.
MOC and Exam Funding requirements can be found at this website:
Send all inquiries and funding requests to:
usn.bethesda.navmedleadprodevcmd.mbx.nmpdc-cme-funding@health.mil
Board Exam and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Reimbursement Funding Delay
The board exam and MOC funding team is still actively funding travel requests at this time. However, the finance department is transitioning to a new financial system which is delaying the funding of all board exam and MOC reimbursements for the current fiscal year. These reimbursements will be funded in the order they were received once the new system is online.
Please continue to submit board exam certification and MOC funding requests to the Navy Medicine CME Funding Team at usn.bethesda.navmedprodevctrmd.mbx.nmpdc-cme-funding@mail.mil.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
V/R,
Navy Medicine CME Funding Team
More information here:
Submit Your FY21 Board Certification or MoC Reimbursement Requests by 1 SEP 2021
The MC Board Funding program has some funds remaining for this fiscal year. If you have Maintenance of Certification (MoC) or Board Exam reimbursements for this fiscal year please submit these requests to usn.bethesda.navmedprodevctrmd.mbx.nmpdc-cme-funding@mail.mil as soon as possible.
To meet end-of-year close out requirements, funding requests must be received NLT 01SEPT2021. Guidance on submitting funding requests may be found on the program’s NEW website at https://www.med.navy.mil/Naval-Medical-Leadership-and-Professional-Development-Command/Professional-Development/Non-BSO-18-Funding/
Funding requests not received by the 01SEPT2021 deadline may still be processed if they meet the program funding requirements and if funding allows. Such requests, if able to be funded, will be delayed (possibly significantly) due to the fiscal year transition.
Spend Your FY20 CME and Board Certification/MOC Money Now!
Due to COVID-induced limitations on travel, the Medical Corps has some remaining FY20 funds to support reimbursement of Maintenance of Certification (MOC) fees, Non-BSO-18 CME fees as well as board certification fees. As these are FY20 funds, the requests for reimbursement must be submitted to the CME funding email address (usn.bethesda.navmedprodevctrmd.mbx.nmpdc-cme-funding@mail.mil) NLT COB 21 SEP 2020 and one must pay the MOC fee/take the exam/attend the CME event NLT 30 SEP.
Initial Application for Board Certification Pay and Your Proof of Certification
Here is some info from BUMED about Board Certification Pay (BCP) for those applying for it the first time:
Please make sure that the date on the proof of board certification that you submit is reflective of the true date of your certification. The Special Pays team has encountered a few packages in which the date on the letter from the respective board is later than the actual date of certification. This particularly seems to impact the Internal Medicine community. Currently, the “fix” is for the individual to reach out to the board and ask for a revised letter reflecting the actual date of certification.
For awareness, BCP is retroactively paid to the date of board certification, so any disparity could result in forfeiture of hundreds/thousands of dollars.
We in the Corps Chief’s office are working to see if we can find a less administratively intensive way of getting the dates right, but in the meantime, it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure they are getting all the pay to which they are entitled.
Any question about special pays should be directed to your command’s special pays coordinator.
Board Exam and Maintenance of Certification Funding Information
I had previously posted the new instruction (BUMEDINST 1500.20A – 3 Nov 2017), but here is the message recently disseminated from the office that deals with this issue:
Good morning Sir or Ma’am,
This message is from the Medical Corps Funding Office at Navy Medicine Professional Development Center and is provided for your information. Please disseminate to your respective specialty communities for maximum awareness.
Attached is the recently signed funding instruction for professional credentials and certification examinations.
Our website provides further information about the funding process, including a checklist of required items and templates for submission:
Please direct all questions and funding request submissions to our group email address:
usn.bethesda.navmedprodevctrmd.list.nmpdccmefunding < at sign > mail.mil
Thank you very much. We look forward to receiving your request.
Updated Board Certification/MOC Reimbursement Instruction
The reimbursement process for board certification and maintenance of certification (MOC) is a process that you can easily screw up, causing yourself to lose out on reimbursement for these expensive requirements. BUMED just put out a new instruction that explains how to request reimbursement for these items, and I’d give it a read if this is applicable to you.
The two issues that trip up most physicians is the requirement to request funding 6 weeks in advance and when the request to reimbursement/exam process straddles a fiscal year change, so give special attention to those requirements. Here is the instruction:
BUMEDINST 1500.20A – Funding Professional Credentials and Certification Examinations
Reimbursement for Board Certification Exams & Maintenance of Certification
This is a process that physicians mess up all the time, leading to much frustration. Here are the key points to note from the explanation below:
- You must submit the request 6 weeks before you need to leave for the exam.
- You must have 1 year of active duty service left following the exam date.
- You must request the travel ahead of time. You can’t do it after the fact.
- You have to request the reimbursement request in the same fiscal year as the test.
This is straight from the Medical Corps Funding website, which is where you should go for the most up-to-date information on this topic:
In accordance with BUMEDINST 1500.20, Navy Medicine Professional Development Center may provide funding to Medical Corps Officers for certification examinations, recertification examinations, maintenance of certification (MOC) examinations and MOC fees. Only funding requests for Medical Specialty Board Examinations approved by American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) are authorized to be considered for funding.
Funding requests must be submitted to the funding group email address usn.bethesda.navmedprodevctrmd.list.nmpdc-cme-funding@mail.mil at least six weeks prior to the member’s travel or examination. Members requesting certification funding must have at least one year of active duty service following their examination date. Examinations must be taken at the closest available testing center.
Travel must be requested in advance; it cannot be funded after the fact. Only MOC fees paid during the current fiscal year will be considered for reimbursement.
To create your funding request, view the document MC Board Funding Request Checklist. Use the other documents, as required by the checklist, to complete your request:
Obligated Service Date Statement
Sample Endorsement for MC Board Certification
Sample Request for MC Board Certification
Should you need it, detailed information regarding the funding process can be found in the last document titled MC Funding Guidance.
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