Definitive Care
National Disaster Medical System
The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) partners with healthcare facilities to ensure a network is in place to provide care for American citizens and/or military casualties requiring additional or complex care unavailable within an area impacted by a natural, man-made disaster, military health emergency, or other public health emergency. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through NDMS, is the lead Federal agency for definitive care through a coordinated partnership with the Departments of Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Defense (DoD).
In the event of a public health emergency, NDMS, through 65 VA and DOD Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs), manages the medical evacuation from areas impacted by a disaster to designated reception facilities within the NDMS healthcare network.
A nationwide network of over 1,600 civilian partner healthcare facilities provides the definitive care for NDMS federal patients. The NDMS Definitive Care Reimbursement Program reimburses institutions and practitioners that participate and provide care to NDMS federal patients.
