# Who exactly is permitted to get treatment at Walter Reed Hospital? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2023, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255 "2023-01-15T10:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/1 "2023-01-15T10:20:05Z")
Is Walter Reed hospital restricted to sitting presidents only? Are there any instances of foreign leaders having been treated there? Is it open to all or just a restricted number of White House staff and elected members of Congress / Senate ? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/2 "2023-01-15T10:32:41Z")
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has several thousand beds. Seems like a lot of space for treating just a few politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/3 "2023-01-15T10:35:18Z")
It is open to military personnel, their families, retirees, Congressmen and members of the White House cabinet. The Presidential Suite is known as Ward 71 and is one of six special patient rooms reserved for high-ranking military officers and members of the White House cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/4 "2023-01-15T10:51:44Z")
Thanks Czarcasm. I presume ex-presidets but not former/retired congressmenn and White House staff (or??)What about foreign leaders? ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/5 "2023-01-16T01:31:04Z")
My dad got treatment at Walter Reed. He was a mid-level Washington bureaucrat and a veteran of the Coast Guard during WWiI. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/6 "2023-01-16T01:42:33Z")
I was an AF E-4 or E-5 stationed in the DC area, back in the mid-80s, and they took care of me in fine style. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/7 "2023-01-16T03:26:51Z")
I guess I could go look this up, but it looks like some in this thread may know: Is Walter Reed formally part of the VA hospital system? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/8 "2023-01-16T13:01:19Z")
Nope. WRNMMC is a joint service military medical center (combined from the Army’s Walter Reed & the Navy’s Bethesda hosptitals). According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Reed_National_Military_Medical_Center), the current commanding officer is a US Navy Medical Corps captain. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/9 "2023-01-16T18:12:00Z")
I was born at Bethesda Naval Hospital. I don’t remember much, but I guess everything went fine. My father was employed at NIMH at the time, but I think also technically Lieutenant in the navy. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/10 "2023-01-17T06:46:53Z")
Thanks Jaycat.again. It appears Walter Reed is open to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/11 "2023-01-17T07:10:50Z")
His post shows that it is open to veterans, which we already knew. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/12 "2023-01-17T07:40:11Z")
Bottom line is Walter Reed is open to everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/13 "2023-01-17T07:50:51Z")
Once again, _no_. Active Duty (US and accredited foreign military) personnel and dependents, military retirees and their dependents, and certain reservists are the vast majority of patients,the First and Second Families, Congressmen, and other select senior Federal officials without other eligibility status for military healthcare, and if a situation presents self where only Bethesda has the right equipment in an emergency situation, they will stabilize the patient then move them to a civilian facility. If you, as a non-vet civilian, try to get treatment there you will be referred elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/14 "2023-01-17T15:17:55Z")
To be clear, there is a difference between and veteran and a retiree. A retiree (generally) is a military member who spent 20 plus years in the military and is retired. A veteran is some who was in the military, but didn’t retire. A retiree is both a retiree and a veteran. Now that we have that clear, Walter Reed would support retirees but not veterans. Veterans would go to the VA. ---
**Author:** ![auntlohimein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/74df32/32.png) [@auntlohimein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntlohimein)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/15 "2023-01-17T22:17:48Z")
my dad, a lt.Colonel had a Quad cab @ WRH back in the early ‘90s. The care, especially by the nursing staff, fantastic, as good as my then employer, The JHH @ Balto.MD. But only a little,kinda rundown. Ron RN ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/16 "2023-01-18T09:01:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Once again, _no_. > … Congressmen, So would my Congressional Representative, Ilhan Omar, or my 2 Senators, Amy Klobuchar or Tina Smith, be sent elsewhere? Or any of the 24% of the Senate and 27% of the House that are not men? What is the appropriate gender-neutral term fo members of Congress? ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/17 "2023-01-18T09:07:54Z")
No. Walter Reed will accept civilians in an emergency, stabilize them and then refer them elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/18 "2023-01-18T09:08:11Z")
This is what I get for not using my usual term, “Congresscritters”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/19 "2023-01-18T09:08:48Z")
That is what I _said_. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255/20 "2023-01-18T09:10:55Z")
Sorry Czarcasm. Thanks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-exactly-is-permitted-to-get-treatment-at-walter-reed-hospital/978255.md?page=2)