New VA physician pay, etc

[dry dre]

This subject is of interest to me and I suspect possibly to others in this forum.

I suppose many here are familiar with the fact that the VA has been working on a pay scheme for a few years to close the gap between govt MD pay and private MD pay. The following link provides at least a rough approximation of what VA MDs can look forward to.

http://www.navapd.org/physician_pay_2000.htm

Of course, military docs can continue to stay hard/get paid $hit.

I'm prior service and have considered going active for a few more years then switching to VA to make 20. Three more active sounds interesting, 14 more sounds painful. Switching to VA would pay nearly 2x the military rate plus a better lifestyle, while still serving vets...

Anyone else considered this path?

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[orbitsurgMD]

This subject is of interest to me and I suspect possibly to others in this forum.

I suppose many here are familiar with the fact that the VA has been working on a pay scheme for a few years to close the gap between govt MD pay and private MD pay. The following link provides at least a rough approximation of what VA MDs can look forward to.

http://www.navapd.org/physician_pay_2000.htm

Of course, military docs can continue to stay hard/get paid $hit.

I'm prior service and have considered going active for a few more years then switching to VA to make 20. Three more active sounds interesting, 14 more sounds painful. Switching to VA would pay nearly 2x the military rate plus a better lifestyle, while still serving vets...

Anyone else considered this path?

You can also use your accrued active duty time to "buy into" the VA retirement system by making a payment into their fund. There is a scale somewhere on the net that shows how to do this, and it isn't expensive.
Not a bad deal if you are not yet regular military and vested into the military system, and even better if you are but aren't high enough in years to rate a retirement.

 

[Monty Python]

This subject is of interest to me and I suspect possibly to others in this forum.

I suppose many here are familiar with the fact that the VA has been working on a pay scheme for a few years to close the gap between govt MD pay and private MD pay. The following link provides at least a rough approximation of what VA MDs can look forward to.

http://www.navapd.org/physician_pay_2000.htm

Of course, military docs can continue to stay hard/get paid $hit.

I'm prior service and have considered going active for a few more years then switching to VA to make 20. Three more active sounds interesting, 14 more sounds painful. Switching to VA would pay nearly 2x the military rate plus a better lifestyle, while still serving vets...

Anyone else considered this path?

Does this mean military time counts towards "federal time" required for a VA pension? If I do four years post-HPSP and get out, those four years count towards a VA pension eligibility?

What if someone stays military 20 years, retires with pension eligibility, and then goes fulltime with the VA. Does that person start with 20 years already towards a VA pension from his prior military service? Or only if not concurrently receiving a military pension?

 

[orbitsurgMD]

Does this mean military time counts towards "federal time" required for a VA pension? If I do four years post-HPSP and get out, those four years count towards a VA pension eligibility?

What if someone stays military 20 years, retires with pension eligibility, and then goes fulltime with the VA. Does that person start with 20 years already towards a VA pension from his prior military service? Or only if not concurrently receiving a military pension?

Yes, as long as you "buy-in" the time. I had 5 years AD and I think the cost would have been about $5000, total. I think you could also buy in by payroll deduction.

There are people who have military retirements and start second careers in the VA. I don't think double credit is allowed under the same plan, though.

 

[SquidDoc]

Does VA time count towards military time though? I was active for 5 years, did 3 years in the VA (paid into retirement), then joined HPSP...

 

[IgD]

Is there an official pay scale for physicians that the VA has on their web site? I looked for it but didn't see it. I'm curious as to the reliability of the link you posted. For example the web address says "2000". Does that mean the year 2000?

This subject is of interest to me and I suspect possibly to others in this forum.

I suppose many here are familiar with the fact that the VA has been working on a pay scheme for a few years to close the gap between govt MD pay and private MD pay. The following link provides at least a rough approximation of what VA MDs can look forward to.

http://www.navapd.org/physician_pay_2000.htm

Of course, military docs can continue to stay hard/get paid $hit.

I'm prior service and have considered going active for a few more years then switching to VA to make 20. Three more active sounds interesting, 14 more sounds painful. Switching to VA would pay nearly 2x the military rate plus a better lifestyle, while still serving vets...

Anyone else considered this path?