Sec. 716. Limitation on the realignment or reduction of military medical manning end strength
591 words·~3 min read·
/bill/116/hr/2500/rh/section-716A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Except as provided by subsection (d), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries concerned may not realign or reduce military medical end strength authorizations until— each review is conducted under paragraph
(1)of subsection (b); each analysis is conducted under paragraph
(2)of such subsection; the measurement is developed under paragraph
(3)of such subsection; each plan and forum is provided under paragraph
(4)of such subsection; and a period of 90 days elapses following the date on which the Secretary submits the report under subsection (c). Each Secretary concerned, in coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall conduct a review of the medical manpower requirements of the military department of the Secretary that accounts for all national defense strategy scenarios. With respect to each military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction, the Secretary concerned shall conduct an analysis that— identifies affected billets; and includes a plan for mitigating any potential gap in health care services caused by such realignment or reduction. The Secretary of Defense shall— develop a standard measurement for network adequacy to determine the capacity of the local health care network to provide care for covered beneficiaries in the area of a military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction; and use such measurement in carrying out this section and otherwise evaluating proposed military medical end strength realignment or reductions. The Secretary of Defense shall provide to each member of the Armed Forces and covered beneficiary located in the area of a military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction the following: A transition plan for continuity of health care services. A public forum to discuss the concerns of the member and covered beneficiary regarding such proposed realignment or reduction. 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 House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the proposed military medical end strength realignments or reductions, including— the reviews, analyses, and other information developed under subsection (b); and a description of the actions the Secretary plans to take with respect to such proposed realignments or reductions. The limitation in subsection
(a)shall not apply to billets of a medical department of a military department that have remained unfilled since at least October 1, 2018. The Secretary concerned may realign or reduce such a billet if the Secretary determines that such realignment or reduction does not affect the provision of health care services to members of the Armed Forces or covered beneficiaries. In this section: The term covered beneficiary has the meaning given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. The term proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction means a realignment or reduction of military medical end strength authorizations as proposed by the budget of the President for fiscal year 2020 submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code. The term Secretary concerned means— the Secretary of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army; the Secretary of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Department of the Navy; and the Secretary of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force.