Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§2559 Provision of Medical Care to Foreign Military and Diplomatic Personnel: Reimbursement Required; Waiver for Provision of Reciprocal Services

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART IV — SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › CHAPTER 152 — ISSUE OF SUPPLIES, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES › § 2559

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must make sure the United States is paid back when inpatient medical care is given in the U.S. to foreign military members, foreign diplomats, or their family members. Any payments must go back into the same government funds that paid for the care. But the Secretary can waive the payment if the foreign country provides similar inpatient care to a similar number of U.S. military members and their families.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2559

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Reimbursement Required.—

Except as provided in subsection (b), whenever the Secretary of Defense provides medical care in the United States on an inpatient basis to foreign military and diplomatic personnel or their dependents, the Secretary shall require that the United States be reimbursed for the costs of providing such care. Payments received as reimbursement for the provision of such care shall be credited to the appropriations against which charges were made for the provision of such care.

(b)Waiver When Reciprocal Services Provided United States Military Personnel.—

Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense may provide inpatient medical care in the United States without cost to military personnel and their dependents from a foreign country if comparable care is made available to a comparable number of United States military personnel and their dependents in that foreign country.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub. L. 101–165, title IX, § 9020, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1133, which was set out as a note under section 2241 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–510, § 1481(f)(3).

Amendments

2000—Pub. L. 106–398 renumbered section 2549 of this title as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2559

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110