(3) Compassionate/personal. Transfers for compassionate or personal
reasons are normally patient-generated. A member who incurs an injury or disease which
will require an extended period of hospitalization may be transferred to a location near his
home if the physician feels it is in the best interest of the patient. This type of transfer also
requires approval from the MEDCOM.
e. Third Party Liability. The Medical Care Recovery Act requires the government
to recover from a third person the reasonable cost of care provided to an individual for
injury resulting from negligent liability by another person. AR 40-16 establishes procedures
for notifying the Recovery Judge Advocate when care is provided an individual who has
been injured due to possible negligence. These procedures ensure that collection action
be initiated to recover the value of all treatment provided from the third party responsible for
the injury.
f. Disposition of the Deceased. Mortuary benefits are provided for active duty
military members when deceased. AR 600-8-1 defines the extent of these benefits.
Next-of-kin notification responsibilities rest with the Casualty Area Commander, or senior
Army representative. Certain medical records are prepared including Hospital Report of
Death (DA Form 3894), Certificate of Death, and Authorization for Autopsy (SF 523), etc.
g. Very Seriously Ill/Seriously Ill (VSI/SI). The purpose of preparing VSI/SI
reports is to maintain records of very seriously ill or seriously ill cases. The reports also
provide instructions for notifying next-of-kin or other authorized persons of the condition of
the patient. The following definitions are to applied literally:
(1) A patient is very seriously ill when his illness is of such severity that life is
imminently endangered.
(2) A patient is seriously ill when his illness is of such severity that there is cause
for immediate concern but there is no imminent danger to life.
h. Medical Boards and Physical Profiling. Medical boards are an instrument of
the Army Medical Department appointed by the commander of a medical treatment facility
to assist in determining the disposition of those patients for whom medical board action is
required by higher authority and in other cases deemed advisable. Medical board action
is required when a soldier has incurred either a permanent or temporary disability.
(1) Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) This board processes patients in
determining retention, disability, retirement, or separation. All medical and profiling boards
rely heavily upon the soldier's medical records.
(2) Physical Profile System. This system classifies individuals according to
their functional ability.
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