Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay, or HFP/IDP, is paid to military personnel serving in an area designated by the President. HFP/IDP is paid at a rate of $225.00 per month without prorating and regardless of pay grade. This includes most areas affected by Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). HFP/IDP entitlement begins upon entry into a designated area and continues or stops as follows:
• Effective March 23, 2006,
this entitlement will continue up to three months past the month of injury as long as the patient is hospitalized. A Service Member is considered hospitalized if he/she is admitted as an inpatient or is receiving extensive rehabilitation as an outpatient while living in quarters affiliated with the military health care system.
• For continuous inpatient care prior to March 23, 2006 only: Patients under a Battle Injury (BI) status may continue to draw HFP/IDP for up to three months. If medical condition was a direct result of combat, the status is listed as BI. If not, member status is Non-Battle Injury (NBI).
Example 1:
CPL Lang leaves the combat zone on April 15, designated to receive outpatient care. HFP stops at the end of the month.
Example 2:
CPL Lang is medically evacuated from the combat zone on August 1, 2006 and is an inpatient status until October 1, 2006, when CPL Lang is transferred to the Fisher House and continues outpatient treatment until the end of November. CPL Lang is entitled to HFP for August, September, and October despite the outpatient status for the month of October.
Example 3:
CPL Lang leaves the combat zone on April 15. CPL Lang receives continuous inpatient care until May 1. Since CPL Lang is not designated an outpatient until May 1, HFP will continue to pay through the month of May.
Example 4:
CPL Lang leaves the combat zone on April 15. CPL Lang receives continuous inpatient care until October 1. Since CPL Lang is not designated outpatient until October, HFP/IDP continues to pay for the three month maximum period for May, June, and July.
Example 5:
CPL Lang leaves the combat zone on April 15. CPL Lang is designated an outpatient on April 21, but is designated as an inpatient again from April 28 to May 3. The break in CPL Lang's inpatient care means that CPL Lang only receives HFP.IDP for April.
Example 6:
CPL is Non-Battle Injury (NBI) prior to March 23, 2006. Regardless of designation, HFP/IDP stops at the end of the month leaving the HFP/IDP area.
