Sec. 735. Adjustment of medical services, personnel authorized strengths, and infrastructure in military health system to maintain readiness and core competencies of health care providers
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Except as provided in subsection (c), not later than 90 days after submitting the report required by subsection (d), or one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, whichever occurs first, the Secretary of Defense shall implement measures to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces. The measures required to be implemented under subsection
(a)shall include the following: The Secretary shall ensure that each medical specialty required for the military medical force readiness of the Department of Defense is not substituted for any other medical specialty. The Secretary shall modify the medical services provided through the military health system to ensure that the only medical services provided at military treatment facilities are those medical services that are directly required— to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; and to ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. The Secretary shall reduce authorized strengths for military and civilian personnel throughout the military health system to the manning levels required— to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; and to ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. The Secretary shall reduce or eliminate infrastructure in the military health system, including infrastructure of military treatment facilities, that— does not maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; or does not ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. The Secretary shall ensure that any covered beneficiary who may be affected by modifications, reductions, or eliminations implemented under this section will be able to receive through the purchased care component of the TRICARE program any medical services that will not be available to such covered beneficiary at a military treatment facility as a result of such modifications, reductions, or eliminations. The Secretary is not required to implement measures under subsection
(a)with respect to overseas military health care facilities in a country if the Secretary determines that medical services in addition to the medical services described in subsection (b)(2) are necessary to ensure that covered beneficiaries located in that country have access to a similar level of care available to covered beneficiaries located in the United States. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the modifications to medical services, military treatment facilities, and personnel in the military health system to be implemented pursuant to subsection (a). The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include, at a minimum, the following: A description of the medical services and associated personnel capacities necessary for the military medical force readiness of the Department of Defense. A comprehensive plan to modify the personnel and infrastructure of the military health system to exclusively provide medical services necessary for the military medical force readiness of the Department of Defense, including the following: A description of the planned changes or reductions in medical services provided by the military health system. A description of the planned changes or reductions in staffing of military personnel, civilian personnel, and contractor personnel within the military health system. A description of the personnel management authorities through which changes or reductions described in clauses
(i)and
(ii)will be made. A description of the planned changes to the infrastructure of the military health system. An estimated timeline for completion of the changes or reductions described in clauses (i), (ii), and
(iv)and other key milestones for implementation of such changes or reductions. Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report assessing the implementation by the Secretary of Defense of measures to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces, as required under subsection (a). The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: An assessment of whether the Department of Defense provides any medical services at military treatment facilities that are not services directly required— to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; and to ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. An assessment of whether the Department has maintained authorized strengths for military and civilian personnel throughout the military health system at manning levels that are higher than the levels required— to maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; and to ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. An assessment of whether the Department has maintained infrastructure in the military health system, including infrastructure of military treatment facilities, that— does not maintain the critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies of health care providers within the Armed Forces; or does not ensure the medical readiness of the Armed Forces. In this section: The term critical wartime medical readiness skills and core competencies means those essential medical capabilities, including clinical and logistical capabilities, that are— necessary to be maintained by health care providers within the Armed Forces for national security purposes; and vital to the provision of effective and timely health care during contingency operations. The term clinical and logistical capabilities means those capabilities relating to the provision of health care that are necessary to accomplish operational requirements, including— combat casualty care; medical response to and treatment of injuries sustained from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incidents; diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases; aerospace medicine; undersea medicine; diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of specialized medical conditions; diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries that are not related to battle; and humanitarian assistance. The terms covered beneficiary and TRICARE program have the meanings given those terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.