The document is a formal letter dated July 29, 2002, from Katharina Phillips, President of the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), to Colonel Kenneth A. Bertram of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. The letter addresses growing concerns within the university research community regarding the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s revised requirements for managing costs associated with illnesses or injuries sustained by human subjects during Army-funded research. Specifically, universities are troubled by a new Army policy that prohibits the use of research subjects' own health insurance for care related to research injuries, necessitating that institutions themselves estimate and compensate these expenses or seek alternative insurance coverage.
COGR highlights the significant difficulties universities face in securing suitable insurance coverage, noting that available options often exclude direct medical payments and would compel subjects to pursue legal action to recover costs. Additionally, the Army’s reluctance to reimburse such expenses under existing agreements is damaging institutional confidence and cooperation. Phillips argues that no other federal agency, including the NIH, requires such estimates and that no legal justification for the Army's unique requirement has been found. The letter recommends that, at least in the short term, the Army should agree to reimburse reasonable research-related injury costs without demanding budget estimates and, ultimately, allow access to third-party payers. Failure to resolve this issue, the letter warns, could lead to widespread withdrawal of university participation from Army programs, thereby impeding valuable research progress. Phillips concludes by advocating for a collaborative meeting to find a mutually agreeable solution that safeguards both subjects and research institutions.
