728.46—Charges and collection.
(a) Policy.
Pub. L. 99-591, section 9029, contains provisions prohibiting the expenditure of appropriated funds “. . . to provide medical care in the United States on an inpatient basis to foreign military and diplomatic personnel or their dependents unless the Department of Defense is reimbursed for the costs of providing such care: Provided, That reimbursements . . . shall be credited to the appropriations against which charges have been made for providing such care, except that inpatient medical care may be provided in the United States without cost to military personnel and their dependents from a foreign country if comparable care is made available to a comparable number of United States military personnel in that foreign country.”
(b) Canadian agreement.
On 3 November 1986, the Department of National Defence of Canada and DOD concluded a comparable care agreement that covers certain military personnel. The agreement stipulates that:
(1)
DOD will, upon request, provide Canadian Forces members the same range of medical and dental services under the same conditions and to the same extent as such services are provided comparable United States military personnel. Inasmuch as the agreement covers only certain military personnel, the reimbursement provisions of Pub. L. 99-591 remain in effect for inpatient care provided to Canadian diplomatic personnel, Canadian dependents, and Canadian foreign military sales trainees who receive care in the United States. Further:
(2)
Permanently stationed Canadian units with established strengths of more than 150 personnel are expected to have integral health care capability. Any health care services which members of such units receive from the host nation will be provided on a full reimbursement basis. Groups of larger than 150 personnel, which conduct collective training in the United States, are expected to deploy with an organic unit medical capability. Naval MTFs may be requested to provide services, beyond the capability of the organic unit, at full reimbursement rates.
(c) Procedures.
(1)
Until otherwise directed, naval MTFs in the 50 United States will collect the full reimbursement rate (FRR) for inpatient care provided to all foreign military personnel (except Canadians covered by the comparable care agreement in § 728.46(b), and military personnel connected with a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case number), foreign diplomatic personnel, and to the dependents of both whether they are in the United States on official duty or for other reasons.
(2)
Subpart J contains procedures for the initiation of collection action when inpatient care is rendered to beneficiaries from NATO nations and when either inpatient or outpatient care is rendered to all others enumerated in this part. Chapter II, part 4 of NAVMED P-5020 is applicable to the collection of and accounting for such charges.