Wounded billed for hospital food
Create Post
Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1

    Cool Wounded billed for hospital food

    Wounded billed for hospital food
    By BILL ADAIR, Times Staff Writer
    © St. Petersburg Times
    published September 11, 2003

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    WASHINGTON - After a grenade exploded inside his Humvee in Iraq, Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Murwin was treated at a military hospital in Germany and spent four weeks at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Part of his left foot was amputated.

    His medical care was free, but the government billed him $243 for the food.

    Then, just three days after he received his first bill for the hospital food in Germany, he got a stern letter saying the bill was overdue. It warned that his account would be referred to a collection agency.

    Murwin, like thousands of other military personnel hospitalized every year, is expected to reimburse the government $8.10 per day for food. That's standard procedure because of a law Congress passed in 1981. But it has angered many military families over the years.

    When Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Largo, and his wife, Beverly, heard about the problem, they personally paid Murwin's tab. Then the congressman introduced a bill to change the rules.

    Rep. Young said Wednesday that the soldiers "were sent to war by their country. Many of them will be handicapped for the rest of their lives - and we're asking them to pay $8.10 a day for their food! There's something really wrong with that."

    The practice is especially egregious, Young said, because "the food probably isn't that good."

    The rule was established because most military personnel receive $8.10 a day as a "basic allowance for subsistence" for food. But when they are hospitalized, the government tries to recoup the money on the theory that they are eating hospital food and therefore are double-dipping.

    Military officials have long disliked the rule but felt they had to enforce it because of the 1981 law.

    "If I could be king for a day, I'd stop it in a minute," said Maj. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, who commands the Army hospitals in the eastern United States.

    The government already bends the rules for soldiers in combat. They are allowed keep the $8.10 even though they are also getting free food, according to Young's office.

    Murwin, 31, a sheriff's deputy in Nevada with 10 years of active duty in the Marines and three years in the Reserves, says he was flabbergasted the government would bill him.

    "Holy smokes," he said. "I'm in the hospital - and they're going to charge me for my food?"

    He says he was willing to pay but thinks it's unfair that young soldiers get billed.

    "What made me so hot is that (it applies to) privates and lance corporals - guys who barely make enough money to pay for their own food, let alone take care of this," Murwin said.

    Kiley, the Army medical commander, said the costs can add up. "If you're here for a couple of months, you could rack up a thousand dollars," he said.

    Young, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was unaware of the law until his wife heard about it from Murwin's father-in-law. He has quickly lined up support for his bill, which would reverse the rule so military personnel do not have to pay.

    His staff hasn't had time to estimate the cost of the bill, Young said, but the government has an obligation to pay for the food of injured soldiers.

    The bill has 96 co-sponsors and has been endorsed by associations that represent enlisted personnel. Because of the strong support, the bill is likely to sail through Congress in the next few weeks.

    Kiley said that he is glad to see the bill and that it has wide support in the military. But he disagrees with Young's unfavorable assessment of the hospital cuisine.

    "It really is pretty good food," Kiley said. "It's not the same as a four-star restaurant. But we work pretty hard at it."

    Murwin concurred, but said his taste buds had been dulled by weeks of eating field chow - called MREs (for Meal, Ready to Eat) - in Iraq.

    "I was expecting the worst" from the hospital food, he said. "I was pleasantly surprised. I actually got a steak dinner one night."

    - Bill Adair can be reached at 202 463-0575 or adair@sptimes.com


    http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/11/Wo...d_for_ho.shtml


    Sempers,

    Roger



  2. #2
    Registered User Free Member 1159273's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    missouri (all over)
    Posts
    24
    Credits
    700
    Savings
    0
    something fishy about this, married personnel use to get comrats pay whenthey were with their family,& they paid for their meals when they ate on base. reads like a dispursing mix-up are the civilians running the services nowadays f@cked up again. Semper Fi - Bill


  3. #3
    Phantom Blooper
    Guest Free Member
    Comrats should have stopped when he was deployed. Unless another screw up on the Unit diary. Has to be disbursing error. Semper-Fi! Chuck Hall


  4. #4
    When I was in the Camp Pendelton Hospital, I was required to stay a time equal to that of being a patient. I ran a crew that cleaned the heads and polished the floors but I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY TO EAT!

    Sometimes I can't believe some of this stuff. What kind of sick mind would come up with the idea that a wounded Marine would have to pay for his food?

    If the enemy hears of this they will probably start charging room rent at POW camps.


  5. #5
    I have to agree with Phantom Blooper on this one! I don't understand why in a time of war, you need to carry a credit card!!


Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not Create Posts
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts