SAN ANTONIO - Congressman Joaquin Castro has announced two bill amendments that would alleviate medical debt for patients at Brooke Army Medical Center
If approved, these amendments would seek to address the ongoing issues with debt and financial hardship of civilian care at BAMC and would be included in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. “For years, BAMC’s agreement with Bexar County has allowed Army medical providers to practice their battlefield trauma skills by treating critically injured patients in South Texas,” said Congressman Castro. “Our region is proud to be home to the Army’s premier training hospital, but that training should not come at the expense of patients and their families.
However, if a patient's debt is very old and has already been passed on to the U.S. Treasury department for collection, those bills would not be covered by the amendments. BAMC is one of two Level 1 trauma centers in San Antonio, with military healthcare providers being permitted to practice life-saving trauma care on civilians.