More budget fun

Started by delicatefade
Panacea Financial Contract Review
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delicatefade

delicatefade

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So I received a tasking for pre-deployment training, attended with my unit in February, just returned. Hospital forces us to have gov't credit card to book flights. I have submitted my DTS voucher 4 times now, all rejected due to "lack of funding". My hospital is $10 million in the red this fiscal year. I'm now being told to pay the balance on my gov't CC out of my own funds, no word on when funds will be released to pay me back, or if funds will ever be released to pay me back. Just venting. Thanks
 
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The only disaster bigger than the machine that is military medicine is the so-called "leaders" of MEDCOM headed by our nurse surgeon. You can become the surgeon general if you are a nurse but you can't serve as a lowly battalion or brigade surgeon. Explain that to me. This organization s..cks!
 
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They are currently "working the issue" and it has gone as high as the hospital commander. Hopefully they can get it resolved without my having to go to congress. I've unfortunately had to do that before 🙂
 
delicatefade said:
So I received a tasking for pre-deployment training, attended with my unit in February, just returned. Hospital forces us to have gov't credit card to book flights. I have submitted my DTS voucher 4 times now, all rejected due to "lack of funding". My hospital is $10 million in the red this fiscal year. I'm now being told to pay the balance on my gov't CC out of my own funds, no word on when funds will be released to pay me back, or if funds will ever be released to pay me back. Just venting. Thanks
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One of the little secrets about the GTCC is that it is not really the government's credit card - in that, if it is delinquent, they go after you personally and not the government. And it will affect your credit if you don't pay it off. It was a pain in my backside when I had to deal with similar situations as an administrator. So yes, pay it off, and then make sure your admin section sends you the money you're owed instead of sending it to the card.
 
I realize this. It was a genius move on the part of the government to shift the liability for their debt to the members of the military, and I'm sure someone from Citibank benefitted from the deal. However, when I looked at the website, you only go delinquent after 60 days (my bill just came due). Also there is a small section that says the DoD is required by law to reimburse you for authorized travel within 30 days. I'm trying to find that law in writing.
 
They are looking into that. I actually had to suggest to them that perhaps the trip is centrally funded or comes from the requesting unit, not the hospital. I'm getting the feeling that this must be the first time anyone has ever deployed from my hospital 🙂
 
numberwunn said:
On second thought -- are they sure that the hospital should be on the hook for the funds? If memory serves, I thought PTP went on a separate OEF fund and not out of unit funds... maybe that's changed?
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that's how it was for me. i was profis to a unit out of germany and did our pre deployment festivities in hoenfels-- it was paid via the line unit. my meddac was already strained from lack of staff, them paying for it would have been an extra little "f you" lol.

good luck. so far i've dodged the government credit card, and will continue to do so as long as possible.

--your friendly neighborhood don't touch my fico caveman
 
numberwunn said:
One of the little secrets about the GTCC is that it is not really the government's credit card - in that, if it is delinquent, they go after you personally and not the government. And it will affect your credit if you don't pay it off. It was a pain in my backside when I had to deal with similar situations as an administrator. So yes, pay it off, and then make sure your admin section sends you the money you're owed instead of sending it to the card.
Click to expand...

Yep, just tear up your govt CC and through it away. The military is basically using them to try and scam soldiers into being forced to pay for their own travel and not get reimbursed. If they try and make you use one then just say you don't have one and can't get one, darn.
 
for one of my ADTs this summer they want me to pay for lodging up front, using a pay advance, and then they will reimburse me (or so they say)...should i expect to see any money back or no?
 
This issue of not being timely reimbursed for official government travel when using a government CC is a routine occurrence at USUHS for students on funded TDY clerkships outside the local area. A 6-12 week TDY can cost an upwards of 5 grand depending on location. The student is held responsible for paying off the CC in entirety when it comes due every month, regardless of whether reimbursement funds are made available from a DTS voucher. Gov't CCs basically provide no real benefits these days.
 
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sonofva said:
for one of my ADTs this summer they want me to pay for lodging up front, using a pay advance, and then they will reimburse me (or so they say)...should i expect to see any money back or no?
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You will get reimbursed... eventually. I would make sure you have access to a few thousand dollars either in your personal piggy bank or personal CC to use as a cushion.
 
dwb8p said:
This issue of not being timely reimbursed for official government travel when using a government CC is a routine occurrence at USUHS for students on funded TDY clerkships outside the local area. A 6-12 week TDY can cost an upwards of 5 grand depending on location. The student is held responsible for paying off the CC in entirety when it comes due every month, regardless of whether reimbursement funds are made available from a DTS voucher. Gov't CCs basically provide no real benefits these days.
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If you have a good admin section, they can set it up so that you get partial payments on longer TDY ( I think anything 30 days+), which would pay off your GTCC. But, that assumes competency most do not posess.

Also, if memory serves, they're supposed to give you a travel authorization before you go, which should set aside the money for you in the system. If they don't show you the authorization, I wouldn't go.
 
I hate the government card. I've come to prefer it when they forget to activate it when I go TAD (which is every. single. time.) ... then I get the frequent flier miles.


My #1 favorite .mil travel office / gov card story - I showed up to the airport on my way to my oral boards. Travel person who made the reservation hadn't paid for my ticket. And then my gov card was declined. Used my own Visa.

Getting stranded on the wrong coast of Nicaragua for 3 days because of a travel office screwup would have been #1, but the hotel was nice and the tortilla soup was the best I've ever had.
 
backrow said:
They have within the last 3-5 years or so changed the JFTR to now say that the use of the govt credit card will be the rule and not the exception.
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i used to qualify under the "low utilizer" exemption-- people who use government travel i think 1-2 times per year. the last time i inprocessed this was semi-legit, but they were telling everyone they were mandatory.

nothing like floating the government a loan on your own credit score. i didn't ask if that line of credit can change your credit score (i assume it does) but it's not without risk. most of us can handle it, but the principle of it is what p*sses me off, lol.

--your friendly neighborhood should be called a loan to government card caveman
 
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