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EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program)


Guest PistolPete21

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Thanks gents, it has been a hassle for a kid who just can't say his R/W's. They said I shouldn't take him for summer visits since there was a backlog for the speech therapist..

Found a great home day care person who worked with him awesome.

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  • 1 month later...

Thread bump:

About to enroll my wife in the program due to a medical issue that sprung up that requires a specialist (thankfully nothing life threatening). My question is does the military consider if there are non military docs in the area that take Tricare Standard before making a PCS decision? Also would the same apply to OCONUS? As of now I have follow on orders to Ramstein but I am worried those will be changed/cancelled due the impending Q code. I have done some of my own research and it appears there are a number of the required specialist in the Ktown area that would take Tricare Standard Overseas.

We are already preparing to annoy the local EFMP office until our paperwork gets cleared. I'm looking for any more information that could help us out.

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Thread bump:

About to enroll my wife in the program due to a medical issue that sprung up that requires a specialist (thankfully nothing life threatening). My question is does the military consider if there are non military docs in the area that take Tricare Standard before making a PCS decision? Also would the same apply to OCONUS? As of now I have follow on orders to Ramstein but I am worried those will be changed/cancelled due the impending Q code. I have done some of my own research and it appears there are a number of the required specialist in the Ktown area that would take Tricare Standard Overseas.

We are already preparing to annoy the local EFMP office until our paperwork gets cleared. I'm looking for any more information that could help us out.

How badly do you want to go to Ramstein? Might want to rethink enrolling, if it isn't too late. I've seen a lot of folks get screwed out of overseas assignments because the Tricare Europe people are worthless and the medical community is risk averse to the absolute extreme. Right now, the first priority for medical resources in the KMC are the medevac'd soldiers returning from Afghanistan--as it should be. Tricare seems to be very slow to qualify additional specialists in the area. If Tricare makes the ruling that there aren't enough openings with the right specialists for your wife, they'll recommend that your wife be denied command sponsorship and the medical community will happily deny it. Then, you'll be offered a new assignment to a location that the medical community deems has the resources your wife needs. You might want to think about whether your financial situation in Germany (with COLA) would allow you to pay out of pocket for whatever treatment your wife is going to need and reconsider EFMP all together.

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We are already preparing to annoy the local EFMP office until our paperwork gets cleared. I'm looking for any more information that could help us out.

From personal experience, I concur with what TMFan said regarding Ramstein. You have the right mentality with EFMP - I had to do the same thing leaving Ramstein when I was notified less than months prior to PCS that a family member had been put on EFMP about a year prior without them actually notifying me of that. As big of a fuckalolly as the Ramstein MPF was, EFMP was the boat anchor that almost caused me to push back my departure date. I had to call direct to O-5s in the MDG to get things rolling for what should have been relatively simple actions.

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Pretty sure you cannot "refuse" EFMP. Used to be it was optional...think it's mandatory now. Been on it for 15+ yrs, system worked as advertised for us....no issues, no troubles.

This is true. However, it seems that snuggie was going out of his way to get enrolled. Depending on how far down that road he has gone, I assume there might still be time to back out. Maybe the issues his wife was having seem to have subsided—or at least that is what she could tell the military med folks.

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This is true. However, it seems that snuggie was going out of his way to get enrolled. Depending on how far down that road he has gone, I assume there might still be time to back out. Maybe the issues his wife was having seem to have subsided—or at least that is what she could tell the military med folks.

The issue is that I have already answered the Special Needs Screener for our 1st PCS truthfully. Which once that was turned in raised other flags. Even if it wasn't an issue for this PCS to Little Rock the 1466 that would be required for Ramstein would have caused the same problems.

For those who have been OCONUS, how easy was it to use Tricare standard overseas? We are willing to pay co-pays and other fees if it allows the flexibility of seeing local doctors. Plus we don't have to worry about KMC finding a spot for her, which I would hope would make the EFMP approval process a no brainer.

I have a while until I need to get to Ramstein, right now I am just trying to get cleared to PCS to Little Rock for training. But from what y'all are saying I need to start to work with the EFMP people as soon as I sign in to the Rock.

Edited by Snuggie
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The issue is that I have already answered the Special Needs Screener for our 1st PCS truthfully. Which once that was turned in raised other flags. Even if it wasn't an issue for this PCS to Little Rock the 1466 that would be required for Ramstein would have caused the same problems.

For those who have been OCONUS, how easy was it to use Tricare standard overseas? We are willing to pay co-pays and other fees if it allows the flexibility of seeing local doctors. Plus we don't have to worry about KMC finding a spot for her, which I would hope would make the EFMP approval process a no brainer.

I have a while until I need to get to Ramstein, right now I am just trying to get cleared to PCS to Little Rock for training. But from what y'all are saying I need to start to work with the EFMP people as soon as I sign in to the Rock.

Tricare Europe will review what needed specialists are documented on the 1466 and match that against what military and civilian providers are available in the local area (and waiting times to get appointments with them). It may be worth trying to convince the doc writing the 1466 to go easy on frequency of visits required. It could mean the difference between getting the assignment and not getting it.

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Or if possible, get the doc to say "no specialist needed". That magic line made my wife's 1466 have a less than 24 hr turnaround time.

This isn't possible, but we have had the "nice to have" vs. "mandatory" discussion. So we should be down to only needing one specialist, and a somewhat common one at that.

TMFan- Thanks for all of the advice. We have just started down this road and it's a very confusing process.

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Also you can't submit the paperwork to have your wife evaluated for the PCS till 6 months before your RNLTD to Ramstein. If you submit it earlier, it will get kicked back and you'll have to start over from the beginning. It sound like you have a stop at LRAFB in between, so take that into consideration. I had a TDY enroute to my current base with a RNLTD that was 6 months beyond my start of my TDY.

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  • 2 months later...

After reading through this thread some questions:

Tricare Europe will review what needed specialists are documented on the 1466 and match that against what military and civilian providers are available in the local area (and waiting times to get appointments with them). It may be worth trying to convince the doc writing the 1466 to go easy on frequency of visits required. It could mean the difference between getting the assignment and not getting it.

The MilitaryOneSource site directs to the DD2792, which I am familiar with from trying to get command sponsored some years ago. Is the AF1466 a newer, AF specific form?

It all starts with the PCM recommendation, which is obviously much easier to do with an on-base pediatrician. Militaryonesource is a good place to start reading and learning.

What if my child is on Tricare Standard? How would this process start and progress? Will the EFMP reps look at out in town care providers (highly preferred).

My boy has never been to Nellis, but has had extensive cardiac treatment since birth, all on Tricare Standard. So I'm hoping that the EFMP folks can help me research civilian providers at the assignment options available and provide a vector to my next assignment, if applicable.

I should be on the VML next summer for a fall move, so I'm trying to lead turn these issues now. Thanks for the help!

Also you can't submit the paperwork to have your wife evaluated for the PCS till 6 months before your RNLTD to Ramstein. If you submit it earlier, it will get kicked back and you'll have to start over from the beginning. It sound like you have a stop at LRAFB in between, so take that into consideration. I had a TDY enroute to my current base with a RNLTD that was 6 months beyond my start of my TDY.

I'm looking at CONUS options primarily; do I have to wait for a RIP to get evaluated, or was this overseas specific advice?

Edited by BFM this
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  • 3 months later...

I'm being sent to Laughlin as an instructor, which doesn't have much for health care options for my EFMP daughter. We're trying to request that AFPC change the location to either Whiting, Pensacola or even Vance (with my Sq/CC's support). My commander just told me there's an EFMP form on vMPF to request a change of assignment, however I haven't been able to find it. Does anyone know where I'd go about finding this? I only found AFI 36-2110 which has a sample memo as one of the attachments.

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Here's the path:

vMPF > Self Service Applications > Assignments > Exceptional Family Member Program Application

Has the Laughlin EFMP coordinator already approved your inbound PCS with sufficient medical support? You might be out of luck, or have to provide additional medical information if so.

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AFI 36-2110, Attachment 25 describes the process. It is convoluted, until you recognize the attachment describes enrolling into EFMP before PCS and also getting approval to have your family travel with you. I had a similar issue, child is in EFMP and though everything was great. When the MTF enrolled us; however, the full medical need was not updated, AF2523 only. You communicate the medical needs with a DD2792. It is a 13 page form that is filled out by you, the medical doctor, and reviewed by the MTF. Make certain the DD2792 is processed and verified by the Special Needs Coordinator before you fill out the AF1466.

From AFPC's perspective, your first assignment is given blinded to the Q-code. That can be denied for medical reasons. Caveat to that the military can send you unaccompanied similar to a Korea situation. If denied AFPC will take a second hack at it in coordination with the Special Needs Coordinator. If that does not work, you literally get to choose your assignment.

pm sent.

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Here's the path:

vMPF > Self Service Applications > Assignments > Exceptional Family Member Program Application

Has the Laughlin EFMP coordinator already approved your inbound PCS with sufficient medical support? You might be out of luck, or have to provide additional medical information if so.

Thanks for the link. The Laughlin EFMP has not done anything yet. We just started the 1466 at the losing base and it should get to Laughlin in the next couple weeks. Our next step is to wait to see if we're approved or denied and go from there.

Are you Q-Coded due to the medical issue?

I'm not. My daughter is.

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  • 5 months later...

So I have an OS assignment I am going on either accompanied/unaccompanied...one family member was given a "not recommended for OS travel" for a condition that has since been outgrown. We appealed, had full support of losing and gaining base medical only to be disapproved by MAJCOM for a condition that does't exist so 2/3 dependent are command sponsored.

I was told no more appeals, tuition at overseas school is paid, there is no chance of recurrence so we are going without that dependent listed on orders. Can anyone add to my list of drawbacks/considerations. Its a remote location so the loss of base facilities is not a factor.

1. Travel for family member is not funded.

2. Need to enroll them in Tricare overseas standard

3. Need a visa

4. No travel per diem (TLA), less cola

Anyone ever deal with this sort of cloosterfook?

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