---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 U.S.C. § 948"
title: "14"
title_heading: "Coast Guard"
number: "948"
heading: "Contracts for medical care for retirees, dependents, and survivors: alternative delivery of health care"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/14/948"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — Establishment, Powers, Duties, and Administration"
  - "Chapter 9 — Administration"
  - "Subchapter II — Miscellaneous"
---

# §948. Contracts for medical care for retirees, dependents, and survivors: alternative delivery of health care

- (a) The Secretary may contract for the delivery of health care to which covered beneficiaries are entitled under chapter 55 of title 10. The Secretary may enter into a contract under this section with any of the following:
  - (1) Health maintenance organizations.
  - (2) Preferred provider organizations.
  - (3) Individual providers, individual medical facilities, or insurers.
  - (4) Consortiums of these providers, facilities, or insurers.
- (b) A contract entered into under this section may provide for the delivery of—
  - (1) selected health care services;
  - (2) total health care services for selected covered beneficiaries; or
  - (3) total health care services for all covered beneficiaries who reside in a geographic area designated by the Secretary.
- (c) The Secretary may prescribe a premium, deductible, copayment, or other change for health care provided under this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 101–595, title III, § 319(a), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2989, § 668; renumbered § 948, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 107(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4205.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 668 of this title as this section.