Nat Guard - How does your employer handle deployment?

[jkordsm]

If you’ve deployed (90, 180, whatever number of days) as an attending physician, how has your civilian employer or private practice group handled that? Specifically interested in hearing about outpatient medicine, in terms of base pay but in general as well. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Private practices are put in a difficult position with reservists called up for extended duty. They have to cover the same overhead with fewer people generating revenue. Even if your pay is suspended in your absence, the overhead paid of gross receipts will have to come from elsewhere. That is a different circumstance compared to government, V.A. or other institutional employment. Locums don't really compensate for the disruption and carry costs themselves. If you are the sole provider for a specific line of work of the practice, the absence could present a continuity of care issue for patients of the practice. So while I can't say I have ever heard complaints about someone going to active duty, I also can't imagine that event wouldn't cause the partners staying behind to wonder at the commitment of the deployed person to the welfare of the practice organization, especially if the reserve affiliation was voluntary and not the necessary fulfillment of an obligation that preceded employment.

 

[DeadCactus]

You should be prepared to be uncompensated by your civilian employer during any deployment or training periods. Some states or institutions will continue to pay you for a period of time or make-up the difference for a period of time. If you join the Reserve or Guard, you should really be looking for large groups and institutions. I've met people who work in small groups or run their own private practice, but that means taking on a significant risk and challenge. Even in large groups that can absorb the burden, they will vary on the spectrum of support to tolerance.

 

[mudderMD]

They stopped paying and my benefits were cut off. They were not happy I was leaving. They are, however, required by USERRA to reinstate you when you're back from deployment.

 

[DMBandFan86]

You might get some base pay for a temporary period if your employer offers it. I worked somewhere in the past that gave 30 days annual paid military leave. But you have to find somewhere that will support that.

Most people don't get any benefits. Even for 2 week AT a lot of people just use vacation time as to not loose pay.

If you are in a small group or independent, then it gets a lot harder. If you are on RVU production, then any military leave will cut down your compensation.

 

[the_world_has_gone_mad]

OK - these might be a way too specific questions and not that it is really important ... but any further insight on the civilian benefit 'cut off'/'reinstatement'. For health insurance you (and family) transition over to TRICARE - correct? 401k/403b etc. retirement plans are paused and then reinstated - correct (you can even 'catch up' over time)? But what about 'other' benefits: Civilian 'Health Saving Accounts'? What about Civilian employer provided Group Life Insurance - this clearly will be suspended during deployment and guess you have SGLI - but will Group Life Insurance coverage be reinstated afterwards ? What if you have purchased 'additional' group life insurance coverage - do you need to re-qualify? Guess this is in the end all employer dependent .... - so likely there will be no general answer to these questions...

 

[armytrainingsir]

My non profit employer cut a check to make up the difference between my salary and my .mil pay while I was deployed

YMMV

 

[armytrainingsir]

OK - these might be a way too specific questions and not that it is really important ... but any further insight on the civilian benefit 'cut off'/'reinstatement'. For health insurance you (and family) transition over to TRICARE - correct? 401k/403b etc. retirement plans are paused and then reinstated - correct (you can even 'catch up' over time)? But what about 'other' benefits: Civilian 'Health Saving Accounts'? What about Civilian employer provided Group Life Insurance - this clearly will be suspended during deployment and guess you have SGLI - but will Group Life Insurance coverage be reinstated afterwards ? What if you have purchased 'additional' group life insurance coverage - do you need to re-qualify? Guess this is in the end all employer dependent .... - so likely there will be no general answer to these questions...

Your employer is required to make you whole as if you had never deployed.

General reserve deployment questions can be found here. Well worth looking around.

https://www.roa.org

 

[CCM-MD]

My non profit employer cut a check to make up the difference between my salary and my .mil pay while I was deployed

YMMV

Wow.

 

[armytrainingsir]

Wow.

Yeah, but they screwed me over a few years later!


Their policy, I'm sure, is more intended for the NG E5 that works in maintenance guy than physicians.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Your employer is required to make you whole as if you had never deployed.

General reserve deployment questions can be found here. Well worth looking around.

https://www.roa.org

If you are salaried, I can see how that might be true. If you are on incentive for productivity, you would have to expect the productivity to be calculated at zero, and any compensation based on productivity also zero (if you had stayed home but done no production, same effect.) Also, I suspect any compensation provided by the government could be deducted from any base salary--no double dipping. More to the point, while some colleagues may sympathize, others might see your reserve affiliation as a voluntary conflict of interest, unless your reserve obligation arose from an agreement you made before hire and they were aware of that obligation and of the possibilities of your being called up.

No one will like being threatened with action under USERRA.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Just a philosophical question: why isn't the government required to "make you whole" as if you had never deployed? Employers who don't employ reservists suffer no risk or burden to reservist absence. This seems like an all-sticks and no carrots proposition, where the .gov offloads the burdens to a third party with absolutely no say in the matter. It isn't as if the treasury as a whole carries the burden on behalf of the nation as a whole. Does the government feel entitled to seize property without compensation in this case where it would be ordinarily liable in any other?

 

[TheEarDoc]

If you are salaried, I can see how that might be true. If you are on incentive for productivity, you would have to expect the productivity to be calculated at zero, and any compensation based on productivity also zero (if you had stayed home but done no production, same effect.) Also, I suspect any compensation provided by the government could be deducted from any base salary--no double dipping. More to the point, while some colleagues may sympathize, others might see your reserve affiliation as a voluntary conflict of interest, unless your reserve obligation arose from an agreement you made before hire and they were aware of that obligation and of the possibilities of your being called up.

No one will like being threatened with action under USERRA.

Yep this is true. The VA I used to work for always had issues with me taking any time off for reserve stuff. I have no idea how being mobilized for 6-12 months would have went considering how much push back I got for taking 2-4 weeks off for Army courses and annual trainings. Everything was a fight. My supervisor couldn't understand why I needed the day off before a drill weekend to fly half way across the country for drill or why I was requesting to come in 3 hours late on a Monday morning when I wasn't getting home until 2 AM from drill weekend and then expected to be back to work at 7:30 AM with a 1 hour commute. Everything was a constant fight. I had to threaten USERRA so many times. The worst part was my supervisor worked with another provider for 15+ years who was a retired LTC from the Army Reserves so she knew exactly how all of it worked, she just wanted to play dumb.

My current VA is much better with my military duties, but then again there are a few of us in the department so it's just known what is required of us.

 

[jkordsm]

Appreciate the thoughts everyone! I’ve heard various stories from the docs in my unit. Anywhere from “on your own” to double-dipping 30d and/or paying some or all the difference in army and your civilian base pay for the entire deployment. I feel like most everyone loves to say they support the military and are thankful for our service… until it comes time to actually do it.

My non profit employer cut a check to make up the difference between my salary and my .mil pay while I was deployed

YMMV

That’s incredible

 

[jkordsm]

UPDATE. Had 2 places I am considering working that added a deployment clause to my contract offers in which they’ll make up any difference in base salary and deployed military pay.

 

[USCguy]

I had a clause in my contract where I received my base pay for up to 90 days of deployment…so when I deployed they paid me for 90 days not dependent on the military pay. I also have a “catch up” clause where I can’t receive productivity bonus until my prior quarters’ deficit was made up. I didn’t want to do that when I got back so I renegotiated a new contract where my prior deficit was wiped out.

But that is all dependent on your employer and the negotiating power you have. I had a lot of leverage (large patient base, clout, and I was a good employee) that I used in that situation. If I worked for HCA or Lifepoint I’m sure it would not have gone down like that.