42 U.S.C. § 253 — Medical services to Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Public Health Service

(a) Persons entitled to medical services — Subject to the President's regulations, three groups get medical, surgical, and dental treatment and hospital care from the Public Health Service: (1) active-duty Regular Coast Guard commissioned officers, chief warrant officers, warrant officers, cadets, and enlisted members — including those on shore duty or detached duty — plus active-duty Regular and temporary Coast Guard Reserve members; (2) active-duty NOAA commissioned officers, ships' officers, and vessel crew members, including those on shore or detached duty; and (3) active-duty commissioned officers of the Public Health Service's Regular or Reserve Corps. The Surgeon General can assign commissioned officers to serve aboard Coast Guard or NOAA vessels. (b) Health care for involuntarily separated officers and dependents — (1) The Secretary can provide health care to a Regular or Reserve Corps officer who is involuntarily separated from the Service, and to that officer's dependents, if the officer or dependent was already getting Service-paid care at the time of separation, and the Secretary finds they can't get suitable insurance for those same conditions. (2) This coverage can last no more than one year from the date the officer separated from the Service. (c) Examination of personnel of Service assigned to Coast Guard or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — The Service must provide all the services described in (a) that the Coast Guard or NOAA needs, and must perform every legally required exam for appointment, enlistment, reenlistment, promotion, and retirement. Service officers assigned to Coast Guard or NOAA vessels can also give aid to the crews of American vessels engaged in deep-sea fishing.