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United States Marshals Service's Prisoner Medical Care

Report No. 04-14
February 2004
Office of the Inspector General

Appendix VII
USMS Policies and Porcedures
for Outside Medical Services

  1. District office is notified by the jail of need for outside medical care, at which point they determine whether they will authorize the treatment. If necessary, the district office should consult with the OIMS in making that determination.
  1. District office prepares an authorization document and assigns a voucher number. The use of the USM-157 (requisition of goods and services) is not required for credit card buys or payments. However, in lieu of the USM-157 district offices are required to use some type of obligation form, i.e., Pre-Approval Form or Prisoner Medical Attention Notice, and maintain a written log or (PTS) computer file of all medical services. The log should contain a record of the log number, name, prisoner number, medical provider, date of service, services rendered, estimated cost, actual cost.
  1. The prisoner is transported to the outside medical provider.
  1. The outside medical provider, if possible, notifies the district office of what procedures will be performed and the estimated cost.
  1. Upon determining the estimated cost of the medical care the district office must enter the obligated amount to the correct object code 1020 and sub-object code (2515 - hospital or 1154 - physician) for the assigned voucher number into the FMS.
  1. District office receives and reviews the provider's medical invoice and billing statement, then verifies that the prisoner was in USMS custody during the service period.
  1. District office forwards the invoice and billing statement to the contractor for re-pricing.
  1. The contractor reviews, re-prices and processes the medical claim. If all documents are complete, the contractor attaches a re-pricing document listing the amount to be paid by the district to the invoice and billing sheet. These documents are returned to the district office for further processing and filing.
  1. The district office pays the medical provider the amount listed on the re-pricing document (Treasury check or credit card).
  1. The district office enters the re-priced expense in the FMS and adjusts the obligated amount.