Legal Definitions - Office of Civilian Health and Medical Programs of the Uniformed Services

The Office of Civilian Health and Medical Programs of the Uniformed Services, commonly known by its acronym OCHAMPUS, is a specific administrative body within the U.S. Department of Defense. Its function is to manage and deliver a civilian health and medical care program. This program provides healthcare benefits to a defined group of beneficiaries: the spouses and dependent children of active members of the U.S. armed forces, along with retired military personnel and their spouses and children.

Here are some examples illustrating how OCHAMPUS functions:

• Imagine a U.S. Air Force pilot is currently deployed overseas. His spouse, living with their two young children in a civilian community, needs to take their youngest child to a local pediatrician for a sudden ear infection. Under the OCHAMPUS program, the medical expenses for this civilian doctor's visit would be covered, ensuring the child receives necessary care while the service member is away.

  This example demonstrates OCHAMPUS's role in providing civilian health benefits to the spouses and dependent children of active members of the armed forces.

• Consider a retired U.S. Navy veteran who lives far from any military treatment facility. He develops a new medical condition requiring regular visits to a civilian cardiologist in his hometown. OCHAMPUS would be the program responsible for administering the financial assistance for these civilian medical appointments, allowing him to access specialized care without having to travel long distances to a military hospital.

  This illustrates how OCHAMPUS supports retired military personnel by covering their civilian health and medical care needs.

• A college student, whose mother is a retired U.S. Army colonel, suffers an injury during a club sports event and needs emergency medical attention at a civilian hospital. As a dependent child of a retired service member, her emergency room visit, X-rays, and follow-up care with a civilian orthopedic specialist would be eligible for coverage through OCHAMPUS.

  This example highlights OCHAMPUS's provision of healthcare benefits to the children of retired military personnel.