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EFMP: The Good, The Bad, The Lengthy Wait

By Tiffany Shedd

No one ever wants to find out that they or one of their family members has a health problem. But once you know, if you’re like me, you probably go through a process of dealing with that information.

My first reaction is usually to call my mom (assuming my husband was with me when I got the news). My second step is usually to cry. When I’m done bawling my eyes out (an ugly cry is good for the soul every now and then), I generally get irrationally angry. Why is this happening? What have we done to cause this? And when I can’t answer those questions, I start looking at the questions I can answer. I turn to one of my strengths, research.

I love to dig into new topics and not stop until I feel like I know everything there is I can possibly know.

When my son was diagnosed with epilepsy, one of the first pieces of advice I got from the emergency room doctor was to not Google epilepsy. She told me that if I needed to find information to go to the Epilepsy Foundation website.

Surprisingly, I followed her advice, even though it went against all my instincts. We have so few answers about the whys in regards to my son’s epilepsy, it was just easier to not drive myself crazy trying to figure it out on my own.

Because I have taken a less inquisitive attitude toward my son’s diagnosis, I turned my need to do research on to another subject, the Exceptional Family Member Program. Before my son was diagnosed, all I knew about EFMP was that dependents had to be screened before they were granted permission to PCS with their spouse.

I didn’t understand why that was, and frankly, I was a little scared that I might not get to be with my husband if I was deemed “exceptional.” Of course, I am not “exceptional,” so I had no reason to dig any deeper when we were first married. I just thought it was another hoop the Army liked to see me jump through every three years.

If you’re just coming to the EFMP program or whether you’re a long time veteran of it, there may be information and resources that you may not know about. The first place I started my research was with the U.S. Army Medical Department website. They have an entire section devoted to explaining the EFMP program. You can find out why it is mandatory for you or your family members to enroll in the program, and, you can find out how to begin the process.

Beginning the process can seem daunting. I was lucky, because my son’s primary care manager is an EFMP expert and was very kind and understanding in helping me through it. If you or your family member has an on post PCM, the process is one step simpler, because these providers are trained and know how to help you through the process. Usually that means once you or your child has had a special need identified, whether it be special medical needs or special educational needs, you’ll be referred to the EFMP office, and they will provide you with paperwork to begin the enrollment process. Or if you’re like me and have already looked up all the information, you probably already downloaded and filled out your part of the DD Form 2792.

 If you’re seeing an off-post provider, your process may be a bit more involved. They may or may not know about the EFMP program. Once your PCM has determined your need, you can take that information with you to the EFMP office on a military facility where you’re stationed. Again, they will give you the paperwork that will get you started. Or you may have already gotten your head start.

It is a lot of paperwork, 13 pages to be exact. Be very thorough and precise when filling it out. You will likely need your spouse’s help, unless you’re one of those informed spouses who actually knows the duty phone number (unlike me). Next, you’ll need to make an appointment with your PCM to have them go through the form and fill in the portions of it that you cannot, which is basically everything after page 2, which is actually physically page 4 (it is very confusing).

When the paperwork is all done and turned in, it’s out of your hands. It will be reviewed by medical personnel to determine if you’re eligible for the program. This part can take a while. Waiting is never fun, but try to be patient. This program is one of the many that has taken a hit in staffing with the recent DOD budget cuts.

If you think that it is taking an extraordinarily long time, by that I mean months, give the office a call and find out where they are in the process. If you’re like me, you may already be enrolled, and no one bothered to tell you.

Don’t forget that the most important thing to remember when you’re trying to get through the process is that you’re doing this so that you or your child or children will be able to receive the best possible care and if that means you have to make a couple of extra trips to the EFMP office to replace misplaced forms, so be it.

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