Sec. 725. Authority to realign infrastructure of and health care services provided by military treatment facilities
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Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of a military department may realign the infrastructure of or modify the health care services provided by a military treatment facility under the jurisdiction of such Secretary if such realignment or modification will better serve to— ensure the provision of safe, high quality health care services to covered beneficiaries at the facility; adapt the delivery of health care at the facility to rapid changes in health care delivery models in the private sector; or maintain the medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers at the facility.
A Secretary of a military department may not realign the infrastructure of or modify the health care services provided by a military treatment facility under subsection
(a)unless such Secretary can ensure that any covered beneficiary who may be affected by such realignment or modification will be able to receive through the purchased care component of the TRICARE program the health care services that will not be available to the covered beneficiary at the facility as a result of such realignment or modification. Before taking any action under subsection
(a)to realign the infrastructure of or modify the health care services provided by a military treatment facility, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on any such proposed realignments or modifications. The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include, at a minimum, the following: With respect to each military treatment facility for which realignments or modifications are proposed, the following: A comprehensive assessment of the health care services provided at the facility. A description of the current accessibility of covered beneficiaries to health care services provided at the facility and proposed modifications to that accessibility, including with respect to types of services provided. A description of the current manning levels at the facility and proposed modifications to such manning levels. A description of the current availability of urgent care, emergent care, and specialty care at the facility and in the TRICARE provider network in the area in which the facility is located, and proposed modifications to the availability of such care. A description of the current level of coordination between the facility and local health care providers in the area in which the facility is located and proposed modifications to such level of coordination. A description of any unique challenges to providing health care at the facility, with a focus on challenges relating to rural, remote, and insular areas, as appropriate. An assessment of the current accessibility of covered beneficiaries to health care from sources other than military treatment facilities and any changes that may be necessary to meet requirements relating to health care for covered beneficiaries from such sources, including access to and receipt of health care. Not later than 60 days after the Secretary of Defense submits a report under subsection (c), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a review of such report. In this section, the terms covered beneficiary and TRICARE program have the meaning given those terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.