Sec. 705. AUDIT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE NETWORK PROVIDERS LISTED IN TRICARE DIRECTORY

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## SEC. 705 AUDIT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE NETWORK PROVIDERS LISTED IN TRICARE DIRECTORY ###

(a)Audit Required The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an audit of the behavioral health care providers listed in the TRICARE directory. ###

(b)Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the findings of the audit under subsection (a). Such report shall include the following: ####

(1)An identification of the following, disaggregated by provider specialty and TRICARE provider network region: #####

(A)The number of such behavioral health care providers with respect to which there are duplicate listings in the TRICARE directory. #####

(B)The number of such behavioral health care providers that, as of the commencement of the audit, were listed in the TRICARE directory as available and accepting new TRICARE patients. #####

(C)The number of such behavioral health care providers that, as a result of the audit, the Comptroller General determines are no longer available or accepting new TRICARE patients. #####

(D)The number of such behavioral health care providers that were not previously listed in the TRICARE directory as available and accepting new TRICARE patients but that, as a result of the audit, the Comptroller General determines are so available and accepting. #####

(E)The number of behavioral health care providers listed in the TRICARE directory that are no longer practicing. #####

(F)The number of behavioral health care providers that, in conducting the audit, the Comptroller General could not reach for purposes of verifying information relating to availability or status. ####

(2)An identification of the number of TRICARE beneficiaries in each TRICARE region, disaggregated by beneficiary category. ####

(3)A description of the methods by which the Secretary of Defense measures the following: #####

(A)The accessibility and accuracy of the TRICARE directory, with respect to behavioral health care providers listed therein. #####

(B)The adequacy of behavioral health care providers under the TRICARE program. ####

(4)A description of the efforts of the Secretary of Defense to recruit and retain behavioral health care providers. ####

(5)Recommendations by the Comptroller General, based on the findings of the audit, on how to improve the availability of behavioral health care providers that are network providers under the TRICARE program, including through the inclusion of specific requirements in the next generation of TRICARE contracts. ###

(c)Definitions In this section: ####

(1)The term “TRICARE directory” means the directory of network providers under the TRICARE program. ####

(2)The term “TRICARE program” has the meaning given such term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.