Financial Relief for Civilians Treated at Military Hospitals Act

Bill: 116-s-4005
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2020-06-18
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Debt collection

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health care costs and insurance

Hospital care

Military facilities and property

Military medicine
Latest action: action_date: 2020-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Financial Relief for Civilians Treated at Military Hospitals Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Department of Defense from attempting to collect a debt owed by a civilian not covered under TRICARE for medical treatment at a military medical treatment facility. It also prohibits fees for certain emergency medical treatment provided to such civilians at such facilities.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4005 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 18, 2020 Ms. Warren introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 31, United States Code, to address claims of the United States Government relating to care received by civilians at military medical treatment facilities, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Financial Relief for Civilians Treated at Military Hospitals Act . 2. Debt arising from treatment at military medical treatment facilities Section 3711 of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (g)(2)— (A) in subparagraph (A)(v), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (C) to any debt or claim described in subsection (j). ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (j) The Secretary of Defense may not take an action under subsection (a), and shall suspend or terminate an action by the Secretary of a military department under that subsection, to collect a claim arising from care provided at a military medical treatment facility to a civilian who is not a covered beneficiary (as that term is defined in section 1072 of title 10). . 3. Limitation on fees charged to civilians for emergency medical treatment provided at military medical treatment facilities Section 1079b of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b): (b) Limitation on fees for certain treatment (1) Under the procedures developed under subsection (a), a military medical treatment facility may not charge a civilian who is not a covered beneficiary any fee for covered treatment provided to the civilian at the facility. (2) In this subsection, the term covered treatment , with respect to treatment provided to a civilian at a military medical treatment facility, means emergency medical treatment that can be provided only at the military medical treatment facility due to the severity of the condition of the civilian and the location of the civilian. .