Travel Policy

Travel and lodging expenses for the Partners Physician Academy Program (“Partners”) are covered for program attendees. Partners aims to provide program participants an acceptable level of service and comfort with minimum inconvenience, and to accomplish all of the above at the lowest reasonable cost and highest possible safety. Partners requests that participants diligently manage travel expenses.

The following comprises the travel policy for the Partners Physician Academy participants.

Overview of covered services and expenses
1. Covered services and expenses
  1. Round-trip air travel between the participant’s home airport and the Partners Program location city airport (see II.a. Air travel)
  2. Hotel accommodations while in the Partners Program location city, for the duration of the program (see II.b. Hotel accommodations)

Program-related ground transportation while in the Partners Program location city (see II.c. Ground transportation)

Rental car fees, gasoline, and hotel parking expenses, and hotel parking for individuals who wish to drive from their home city to the Partners Program location city (see II.d. Car travel and II.e. Hotel parking)
Taxi fees, as outlined in section II.c.i.3.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (on scheduled program evening events) on full Partners Program days only (see II.f. Meals)

Eligible, appropriately documented reimbursable expenses (see II.g. Reimbursement)

Expenses NOT covered
1. Travel/mileage to/from the participant’s home airport
2. Flight upgrades, including for premium seating, first class, etc.

Parking at the participant’s home airport

Baggage fees (i.e., participants must pay all costs of checking bags)
Meals and snacks that are not provided as part of the program (see II.f. Meals)
In-room incidentals, including (but not limited to) room service and in-room Wi-Fi

Alcoholic beverages
Costs incurred for elective travel in the Partners Program location city

Airfare, lodging, ground transportation, meals, mileage, and any other costs for persons who are not registered Partners Program participants (see II.j. Additional travelers)

Travel procedures
1. Air travel
  1. The Partners Program will pay for air travel in advance of the program via a program-designated travel agent.
    1. Covered flights must be scheduled through the program-designated travel agent unless otherwise authorized by the Partners Program staff.
    2. Contact information for the program-designated travel agency is provided in the participant confirmation letter.
  2. En route changes made after normal business hours should be made through the program-designated travel agency emergency service (see II.i. Natural disasters and local/national emergencies).

Air travel cost considerations
1. Partners Program participants must accept the lowest logical fare within a +/-2 hour time window. Exceptions require Partners Program staff approval.
2. The Partners Program Travel Policy applies to coach class flights only. Business and first class tickets are not covered.
3. Advance purchase/nonrefundable tickets must be accepted when available.
4. Efforts will be made to schedule flights according to the participant’s specifications, with the following conditions:
  1. If non-stop flights, specific carriers, preferred seats, etc., exceed funding available for the participant, the travel agent will be advised by Partners Program staff to find an alternate flight.
  2. Flight upgrades are not eligible expenses (see b. Expenses NOT covered)
  3. Participants who require flights that exceed funding available may opt to pay the difference (overage) for the cost of the requested flight.
5. Frequent flyer mile programs may be used for seating upgrades only when the cost of the lowest logical fare is not increased or affected.
  1. Travelers may not insist on use of specific air travel carriers based on personal carrier preferences and/or frequent flyer mile programs.
6. Upon receiving the program-designated travel agent contact information (see section II.a.i), to secure reasonable fares, Partners Program participants must purchase plane tickets at least 15 days in advance of the scheduled program.

Hotel accommodations
1. Hotel accommodations will be covered for all nights for the duration of the program.
2. The Partners Program will arrange hotel accommodations for all participants in advance of the program.

The Partners Program will cover all hotel expenses on a master bill; the participant will have no out-of-pocket costs for the hotel room and taxes.

Hotel expenses that are NOT covered will be charged to the participant and payable upon checkout from the hotel (see I.b. Expenses NOT covered).
Additional hotel nights will be covered on a case-by-case basis for participants whose flight options necessitate early arrival to or departure from the program location city. The program-designated travel agent will contact Partners Program staff for such events.

Ground transportation
1. The Partners Program may or may not arrange and pay in advance for round-trip ground transport to/from the program location city airport, hotel, and/or program site.
  1. Participants will receive ground transportation information in the confirmation letter; questions should be directed to PartnersPhysicianAcademy@ihtc.org
  2. When ground transportation transport to/from the program location city airport, hotel, and/or program site is arranged in advance of the program:
    1. All fees and gratuity will have been paid in advance; the participant will have no out-of-pocket costs for the ground transportation.
    2. If a participant opts to forego the pre-arranged ground transportation and instead utilizes a taxi, shuttle, or other ground transportation service, the cost of the ground transportation will not be reimbursed.
  3. When ground transportation between the Partners Program location city airport, hotel, and/or program site is not arranged in advance of the program:
    1. Participants will be advised to utilize a Taxi, Uber/Lyft, or shuttle for such travel.
    2. Participants must pay out-of-pocket for the Taxi, Uber/Lyft, or shuttle service.
    3. Participants will be reimbursed upon submitting a receipt and reimbursement form (see g. Reimbursement).
  4. Car travel
    1. Participants within driving distance of the program location city may choose to drive their own car or a rental car. Carpooling is encouraged when multiple participants from a single location choose to drive.
    2. Driving a personal vehicle
      1. Documented and verifiable mileage accrued in the course of program-associated driving will be reimbursed at the current IRS Mileage Rate.
      2. Please refer to g Reimbursement for reimbursement procedures. You may seek reimbursement for gas or mileage, not both.

Driving a rental car
1. The program-designated travel agent will schedule and cover payment of rental of a standard/economy vehicle.
2. The participant will receive reimbursement for the substantiated and verifiable cost of gasoline purchased for only one round trip between the home city and the program location city.
3. The participant is required to fill up the rental car with gasoline at a gas station BEFORE returning the car to the rental location, and should not return the car with less than a full tank in order to avoid unnecessary costs and increased prices at rental location.
4. Please refer to g Reimbursement for reimbursement procedures.

Hotel parking
1. Hotel parking is a covered expense only for those individuals who drive their personal vehicle or a rental car to the Partners Program.
  1. Parking for these individuals can either be charged to the master bill and paid by the Partners Program, precluding the need to seek reimbursement; or the participant may cover in advance any parking and expense back to Partners for reimbursement. This will depend on what is available at specific hotel.
  2. The expense should be submitted for reimbursement in accordance with section g Reimbursement.
2. Meals
  1. Breakfast is included with program participation.
  2. Lunch is included as part of the program on full program days. On shortened/half-days, participants are responsible for their own lunch.

Dinner may be provided for any program related evening offsite events.

Participants with special dietary needs are advised to contact Partners Program staff at PartnersPhysicianAcademy@ihtc.org in advance of a program to inquire about accommodations that can be made.
1. Partners Program staff will make efforts to accommodate special dietary requests made in advance of a program. Such accommodations may include:
  1. Ensuring the program menu includes foods that meet the stated need
  2. Requesting that food handlers prepare acceptable items to meet the need
  3. Permitting the participant to purchase their own, reasonably-priced meals, to be reimbursed upon program completion (see g. Reimbursement for procedures).
2. Reimbursement
  1. Reimbursement will be provided for eligible, approved expenses that the participant must pay out-of-pocket (see II.a. Covered services and expenses).
    1. Participants who opt to forego a service that is covered by the program, and instead choose to pay out-of-pocket to utilize a different service, the cost of the chosen service will not be reimbursed.
  2. In the case that a participant requires reimbursement for a covered service or expense associated with program attendance, the participant will receive an expense form to document the reimbursable expense.

Detailed/itemized receipts MUST be provided for reimbursement of any expense.
1. When required to support reimbursement requests for mileage (personal vehicle) or gasoline (rental car), acceptable documentation would be a copy of an online map showing total miles of the round trip as well as route driven.

If seeking reimbursement for mileage for your one way trip to the program event, gas is not also reimbursable.
Participants can expect to receive reimbursement by check within six weeks following submission of the expense reimbursement form.

Cancellations
1. Funding for Partners Program travel and lodging must be used responsibly. As such, individuals registered to attend a Partners Program are asked to verify their availability and ability to take off work before expenses committing to attend.
  1. Participants are advised not to purchase planes ticket before they have confirmed their ability to attend the program for which they are registered.
  2. Individuals who are unsure of their availability should delay program registration and plane ticket purchase until they have resolved schedule conflicts.
2. In situations where a registered individual must cancel, the following conditions apply:
  1. Partners Program staff (PartnersPhysicianAcademy@ihtc.org) should be notified immediately of the need to cancel participation in a program for which the individual is registered.
  2. Cancellations should be made prior to the purchase of plane tickets AND at least 30 days in advance of the scheduled program.
    1. Individuals who cancel prior to the purchase of plane tickets AND at least 30 days prior to the program may unenroll completely.
  3. When cancellations are made 30 days or less prior to the program, and/or after the purchase of plane tickets, any or all of the following may apply:
    1. The Partners Program may seek reimbursement from the registrant and/or the registrant’s Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) for any expenses accrued on the registrant’s behalf, including:
      1. Airline cancellation fees
      2. Hotel fees for unused accommodations

Costs of unused food/beverage arranged on the registrant’s behalf

Airline transfer and rebooking fees associated with attendance at a future program (see section II.h.iii)

Attendance at subsequent Partners Programs may be denied to the registrant and colleagues at his/her HTC until cancellation-associated fees have been paid.

The program-designated travel agent should be notified immediately of unused tickets.
1. In most cases, tickets can and should be transferred and re-booked within 12 months of the date of purchase.
2. The participant is responsible for airline transfer and rebooking fees associated with attendance at a future program.

Natural disasters and local/national emergencies
1. Definitions
  1. A natural disaster is a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, or hurricane that causes great damage or loss of life.
  2. A local/national emergency is a situation in which circumstances threaten the locale or nation and call for an immediate response.
2. In the case of a natural disaster or national emergency, Partners Program staff will work with the registrant and program-designated travel agent to coordinate changes in travel plans and hotel stays.

If a state or local disaster or emergency should occur in the registrant’s state and will impact the registrant’s ability to participate in the program, the registrant should contact Partners Program staff (PartnersPhysicianAcademy@ihtc.org) and the program-designated travel immediately.

Additional travelers
1. The Partners Program will not cover expenses, make travel arrangements, or otherwise facilitate the travel or lodging of any individuals who are not registered to attend the specific Partners Program. This applies to spouses, children, parents, siblings, pets, coworkers who are not registered for the specific program, and any other individuals who wish to travel with the participant. Such expenses include, but are not limited to:
  1. Airfare for guest(s)
  2. Travel agent fees for guest plane tickets
  3. Additions costs for extra guest(s) in hotel room
  4. Meals for guest(s)
2. Participants who wish to bring additional travelers must adhere to the following guidelines:
  1. Participant must attend the entire Partners Program (i.e., all sessions on all days).
  2. Guest(s) may not attend any session of the Partners Program or enter the program site.

Last updated: June 7, 2022

Travel Policy

2024 Partners Physician Academy | September 23-27, 2024

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