Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- The Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital can acquire money from private insurance companies to help them expand different services of the hospital.

If beneficiaries of the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital have private health insurance, the hospital can file a claim from the insurance company to help pay for medicine in the pharmacy and to buy newer equipment as it is developed, according to Cheryl L. Haynes, the Uniform Business Office department head, at the hospital.

If a person fills out a third-party collection program form the hospital can receive money from the private insurance company, according to Haynes. This will not effect the person’s private insurance in any way.

“People are afraid that their rates will go up,” said Haynes. “But they will stay the same.”

The money that is received from these private insurance companies stays with the hospital and is used to improve the hospital.

This program started in 1987 for in-patient care where a person had to be checked into the hospital for surgery or other procedures, but beginning in 1990 it applied to out-patient treatment as well, according to Haynes.

The program is part of Public Law 101-510 U.S. code 1095, according to Haynes. This is a Department of Defense program for all hospitals.

The rates are set by the DOD so the hospital charges insurance companies a set amount for different procedures, according to Haynes.

Providing the highly technical medical care of the present day costs a lot of money, according to Haynes. This program allows us to maintain and even possibly expand the level of service the hospital provides to the base despite the continuous budget cuts that the hospital must learn to live with.

“It is important that family members know this will not increase their insurance payments and service members should encourage their family to use this program when they can,” Haynes said.