LESSON 5
PATIENT'S TRUST FUND
Section I. INTRODUCTION AND PRINCIPLES
5-1. INTRODUCTION
a. Purpose. The purpose of the Patients' Trust Fund (PTF) in an Army hospital is
to safeguard, account for, and provide administrative control of patients' funds and
valuables. When a patient is admitted, he is informed by the admitting clerk that funds and
valuables may be deposited and that the hospital will not assume liability or responsibility
b. Definitions. The meanings of the following terms are essential to an
understanding and working knowledge of the procedures for administering the PTF:
(1)
Custodian.
The person responsible for the receipt, safekeeping
disbursement, and accounting for patients' funds and valuables deposited with the fund.
(2)
Funds. The term "funds" includes all domestic currency and coins, and
four kinds of checks (cashier's checks, traveler's checks, checks drawn on the "Treasurer
of the United States," and checks drawn on another PTF when accepted for deposit).
(3)
Patient's Trust Fund. Facilities and activities organized as a unit of the
Patient Accountability Branch, Patient Administration Division, to safeguard and account
for funds and valuables owned and deposited by patients admitted to an Army hospital in
the continental United States. In a hospital located outside the continental United States,
procedures to establish a PTF may be adopted at the discretion of the major commander
having jurisdiction over the hospital.
(4)
Responsible individual. An individual who is responsible for transactions
relative to deposits in the PTF when the patient is unable to deposit directly with the
custodian or assistant custodian.
(5)
Intermediate individual.
An individual within each professional
department or service who is charged with specific responsibility for all transactions
between patients who have established an account with the PTF and the custodian of the
PTF that require the services of an intermediate recipient.
MD0752
5-2