DevilsAdvocate
Philosopher
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2004
- Messages
- 7,686
The President receives free health care and prescription drugs. Former presidents are entitled to medical treatment in military hospitals, paying at rates set by the OMB. The type of Federal health insurance they are eligible for depends on how long they served and how long they were on certain Federal health plans.
The President also chooses the Physician to the President (AKA the White House doctor). Another agency assigns a Director of the White House Medical Unit (which may or may not be the same person as the Physician to the President). A full medical staff travels with the President at all times. Air Force One has at least one hospital room with capabilities to perform surgery.
The primary care facility for the President is Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Walter Reed has a section called the "President Zone". This includes the Presidential Suite, which occupies one floor of the hospital. The military has not released much information about this suite. There are some old photos and floor plans, but the recent video and photos of Trump are probably the only publicly available contemporary images of the suite. It appears to include at least one hospital room, at least one office, a conference room, at least one (and probably more) bedroom, a dining room, and a sitting room. It has special security and secure communications to accommodate the President.
The protocol for use of the suite does not appear to be publicly available, but it appears other high level administration officials may use the suite (if not needed for the President). A report from the 1970s says the existing suite at the time had been occupied only 21 days out of 22 months. The President basically has a huge luxury suite at the hospital dedicated to his care.
I don't know how the billing works. There probably isn't billing in a conventional sense, but I would certainly expect there is a full accounting of costs. It probably goes on the Walter Reed budget. That may be compensated by some other fund, which may in turn go on another budget and possibly another fund. Ultimately the costs would be covered by Treasury funds.
The President's health care is free, so insurance doesn't come into it. If the President wants an experimental treatment, he's probably going to get it. This is a military hospital caring for the commander-in-chief and President of the United States. If a treatment isn't approved, he can probably approve it for himself or have someone in his administration do that. If the President asks for a treatment, he is probably going to get it unless it is obviously dangerous like asking for bleach or UV light to be injected into his lungs or something stupid and crazy like that.
