What happens to terminally ill, active duty?

[73BARMYPgsp]

This is kind of a morbid question, but I really don't know the answer. If an active duty soldier is diagnosed with something like cancer, what does tri-care do? Do they stay on active duty, get treated, while their situation deteriorates, go home to die, and they are completely covered? Or do they medically retire them, and give them tri-care prime, or ?? I am doing some data mining for an outome questionnaire and as I was scouring through AHLTA, the question occurred to me.

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[TheGoose]

i was always curious about this as well

 

[orbitsurgMD]

This is kind of a morbid question, but I really don't know the answer. If an active duty soldier is diagnosed with something like cancer, what does tri-care do? Do they stay on active duty, get treated, while their situation deteriorates, go home to die, and they are completely covered? Or do they medically retire them, and give them tri-care prime, or ?? I am doing some data mining for an outome questionnaire and as I was scouring through AHLTA, the question occurred to me.

Well, they get treated, unless they decide not to be treated. The issue of active duty status depends on deployability, and usually they will be given a board finding that limits assignment to a locale where treatment is available, typically to a medcen. All the privileges of any sick person apply, they can be admitted, placed in holding company status with housing, (typically if they cannot be restored to their command after 30 days, the command transfers them to medical holding so that they can qualify for a replacement.)

If they are truly terminal, as in no further treatment is possible or desired, they may be medically retired from active duty. This is sometimes even done in extremis as families of medically-retired deceased receive better benefits than do active-duty members who die in that status. (There was supposed to be a legislative remedy to that discrepancy.)

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

Most of the seriously ill/terminal patients I've cared for have opted for a medical discharge in order that they might receive treatment/enter hospice close to their families. Those that choose to stay in the system have the same options at the nearest MEDCEN. In the cases I have seen, the patient's ( and spouse's, if one exists and is also military) orders keep them at the MEDCEN.

At WRAMC, we have a fairly active hospice ward. My wife has cared mostly for elderly retired individuals, but occasionally they have a patient who is younger and still on active duty. Of course, the big high muckymucks have the Eisenhower ward and who knows what goes on there.

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

Thanks for the responses. Very informative.

 

[IgD]

As I recall they get a medical discharge with 100% disability and can continue medical treatment at the MTF

 

[Gastrapathy]

Of course, the big high muckymucks have the Eisenhower ward and who knows what goes on there.

Those 2Lt nurses up there are very nice.

Tired, I've been on both coasts, don't know anything about that.

 

[Ziehl-Neelsen]

Those 2Lt nurses up there are very nice.

Does that mean that each sponge bath comes with a happy ending?

 

[Bubblehead-to-MD]

<sigh> I swear I heard about this is a mandatory palliative care lecture. Or maybe I just dreamed it while I was napping. Can't find it on the internet either. My bad.

Drifted off to sleep during some mandatory training and dreamed about a beautiful hospice facility where you could go to be comfortably put out of your intern misery...I read ya 😛

 

[RugbyJC]

This is kind of a morbid question, but I really don't know the answer. If an active duty soldier is diagnosed with something like cancer, what does tri-care do? Do they stay on active duty, get treated, while their situation deteriorates, go home to die, and they are completely covered? Or do they medically retire them, and give them tri-care prime, or ?? I am doing some data mining for an outome questionnaire and as I was scouring through AHLTA, the question occurred to me.

you signed up for a committment and death is no excuse for not carrying out this committment. When you signed on the dotted line, you know what you were getting into and even post-mortum you are expected to uphold your honor, courage and committment.

 

[FNU LNU]

"you signed up for a committment and death is no excuse for not carrying out this committment. When you signed on the dotted line, you know what you were getting into and even post-mortum you are expected to uphold your honor, courage and committment."

This gets my nomination for post of the year

 

[Bubblehead-to-MD]

you signed up for a committment and death is no excuse for not carrying out this committment. When you signed on the dotted line, you know what you were getting into and even post-mortum you are expected to uphold your honor, courage and committment.

"Corpse, ATTEN-HUT!"