The Civilian Health and Medical Program for Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)

Abstract

A study of the Civilian Health and Medical Program for the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) was conducted to identify the structure and organizational relationships existing within the Program. The legislative history of dependent medical care programs was traced to show the Congressional intent behind the CHAMPUS Program. Procedures used by several levels of management in the CHAMPUS Program to process beneficiary claims were reviewed and examined. Budgeting, accounting, and reporting systems in use were reviewed in an attempt to demonstrate the growth of the program during the past seven years of its existence. The results of the study demonstrate the complexity of the CHAMPUS Program. It further points out the need for further indepth study in several aspects of the program's management.