Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§253a Medical services to retired personnel of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part C— - Hospitals, Medical Examinations, and Medical Care › § 253a
Summary
Gives retired NOAA ship officers and crew the right to medical, surgical, dental care and hospital care from the Public Health Service if they meet certain date rules. They qualify if they were working as NOAA vessel employees on July 1, 1963 or July 19, 1963 (whichever is later) and kept working without a break until they retired, or if they had already retired on or before those dates. Under rules the President sets, family dependents (as those rules define) of active or retired NOAA vessel staff can get medical advice and outpatient care and, if beds are available, hospital care when the same date and work-history rules apply. A daily charge applies for dependent hospital stays at the uniform rate used for military dependents under section 1078(a) of title 10. NOAA must give ID to people who are eligible.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §253a
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Subject to regulations of the President, retired ships’ officers and retired members of the crews of vessels of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall be entitled to medical, surgical, and dental treatment and hospitalization by the Public Health Service if the ships’ officer or crew member, (1) was on active duty as a vessel employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on July 1, 1963, or on July 19, 1963, whichever is later, and his employment as a vessel employee was continuous from that date until retirement, or (2) was retired as a vessel employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on or before July 1, 1963, or on July 19, 1963, whichever is later.
(b)Subject to regulations of the President, dependent members of families (as defined in such regulations) of ships’ officers and members of crews of vessels of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whether such, ships’ officers and members of crew are on active duty or retired, shall be furnished medical advice and outpatient treatment by the Public Health Service and, if suitable accommodations are available, they shall also be furnished hospitalization by the Public Health Service if the ships’ officer or crew member (1) was on active duty as a vessel employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on July 1, 1963, or on July 19, 1963, whichever is later, and his employment as a vessel employee has been continuous from that time, or (2) was on active duty as a vessel employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on July 1, 1963, or on July 19, 1963, whichever is later, and his employment as a vessel employee was continuous from that time until retirement, or (3) was retired as a vessel employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on or before July 1, 1963, or on July 19, 1963, whichever is later. When dependent members of families are hospitalized, a per diem charge, at such uniform rate as may be prescribed from time to time for the hospitalization of dependents of members of the uniformed services at hospitals of the uniformed services pursuant to section 1078(a) of title 10 shall be made.
(c)The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall furnish proper identification to those persons entitled to medical treatment under the provisions of this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was not enacted as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter.
Amendments
1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–498, § 310(b), substituted “by the Public Health Service if” for “at facilities of the Public Health Service: Provided, That”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–498, § 310(c), struck out “at its hospitals and relief stations” before “and, if suitable accommodations” and substituted “by the Public Health Service if” for “at hospitals of the Public Health Service: Provided, That”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.
Executive Documents
Change of Name
Coast and Geodetic Survey consolidated with Weather Bureau to form a new agency in Department of Commerce to be known as Environmental Science Services Administration, and commissioned officers of Survey transferred to ESSA, by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1965, eff. July 13, 1965, 30 F.R. 8819, 79 Stat. 1318, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090, abolished Environmental Science Services Administration, established National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and redesignated Commissioned Officer Corps of ESSA as Commissioned Officer Corps of NOAA. For further details, see
Transfer of Functions
note set out under section 851 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.
Transfer of Functions
Functions of Public Health Service, Surgeon General of Public Health Service, and all other officers and employees of Public Health Service, and functions of all agencies of or in Public Health Service transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. June 25, 1966, 31 F.R. 8855, 80 Stat. 1610, set out as a note under section 202 of this title. Ex. Ord. No. 11160.
Regulations
Relating to Medical Care for Retired Personnel of Coast and Geodetic Survey [Now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and Their Dependents Ex. Ord. No. 11160,
July 6, 1964, 29 F.R. 9315, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the first section of the Act of
July 19, 1963 (Public Law 88–71, 77 Stat. 83, 42 U.S.C. 253a), and as President of the United States, I hereby prescribe the following
Regulations
relating to the medical care of certain retired personnel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and dependents of Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] ships’ officers and crew members, both active and retired. section 1. Definitions. As used in these
Regulations
, the term: (1) “Retired ships’ officer and retired crew member” means a noncommissioned ships’ officer or crew member of a vessel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] who either was on active duty as a vessel employee on
July 19, 1963, and whose employment as such vessel employee was continuous from that date until the date of his retirement, or who had retired as a vessel employee on or before
July 19, 1963. (2) “Active duty ships’ officer and active duty crew member” means a noncommissioned ships’ officer or crew member on active duty as a vessel employee of the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] on
July 19, 1963, and whose employment as such vessel employee has been continuous from that time. (3) “Dependent members of families”, with respect to active duty or retired ships’ officers or crew members, means: (A) the lawful wife; (B) the unmarried legitimate child, including an adopted child or stepchild, who has not passed his twenty-first birthday; and (C) the father or mother, if in fact dependent upon such active duty or retired ships’ officer or crew member for over one-half of his or her support. (4) “Relief stations” means Public Health Service outpatient clinics and outpatient offices. (5) “Outpatient clinic” means a full-time outpatient medical facility, operated in Federally owned or leased space under the supervision of a commissioned medical officer or a full-time civil service medical officer (formerly known as a Second-Class Relief Station). (6) “Outpatient office” means a part-time outpatient facility serving all classes of legal beneficiaries, located in other than Federal space, and in the charge of a local private physician under contract to the Service to provide medical care on an annual or fee basis (formerly known as a Third-Class Relief Station). Sec. 2. Persons entitled to treatment. The following persons shall be entitled to medical care under these
Regulations
: (1) Retired ships’ officers and retired crew members of the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]; (2) Dependent members of families of persons described in paragraph (1) of this section; (3) Dependent members of families of active duty ships’ officers and crew members of the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]. Sec. 3. Application for treatment; evidence of eligibility. Persons entitled to medical care under section 2 of these
Regulations
, when applying to Public Health Service medical care facilities for medical care, shall produce proper identification, as issued to them by the Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], and such identification shall be accepted as evidence of eligibility for such medical care by the Service. Sec. 4. Extent of treatment; retired ships’ officers and crew members. Subject to the limitation imposed by paragraph (2) of this section, retired ships’ officers and crew members entitled to medical care under these
Regulations
shall be furnished: (1) Medical, surgical, and dental treatment at hospitals, outpatient clinics, and outpatient offices of the Service, and hospitalization at hospitals of the Service. The Service will not be responsible for defraying the cost of hospitalization, medical services, and supplies procured elsewhere. (2) Dental treatment shall be furnished to the extent that facilities and services at hospitals and outpatient clinics of the Service having full-time dental officers on duty are available to provide such treatment. At other Service facilities, dental treatment shall be limited to emergency measures necessary to relieve pain. Sec. 5. Extent of treatment; dependent members of families; charges. (a) Dependent members of families shall be furnished medical advice and outpatient treatment at hospitals, outpatient clinics, and outpatient offices of the Service and, if suitable accommodations are available, shall be furnished hospitalization at hospitals of the Service. The Service will not be responsible for defraying the cost of hospitalization, medical services, and supplies procured elsewhere. (b) For the purpose of this section— (1) Medical advice and outpatient treatment may include such services and supplies as the Medical Officer in Charge may deem to be necessary for reasonable and adequate treatment. (2) Hospitalization shall be furnished when, in the opinion of the Medical Officer in Charge, suitable accommodations are available and the condition of the patient is such as to require hospitalization. When hospitalization is authorized, it may include such services and supplies as the Medical Officer in Charge may deem to be necessary for reasonable and adequate treatment. (c) Charges shall be made for hospitalization of dependent members of families at the same per diem rate as is prescribed for dependents of members of the uniformed services pursuant to section 1078(a) of Title 10 of the United States Code. (d) Dental treatment may be furnished to the extent that facilities and services at hospitals and outpatient clinics of the Service having full-time dental officers are available to provide such treatment. Dental care will not be furnished under any circumstances in private facilities at the expense of the Service. Sec. 6. Prior orders. Executive Order No. 9703 of March 12, 1946, prescribing
Regulations
relating to medical care of certain personnel of the Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey [now National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], Public Health Service, and former Lighthouse Service, is hereby amended to the extent necessary to conform it to the provisions of this order. Lyndon B. Johnson.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 253a
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73