113 STAT. 690 PUBLIC LAW 106-65—OCT. 5, 1999 Regulations. 10 USC 1095e note. SEC. 715. TRICARE BENEFICIARY COUNSELING AND ASSISTANCE COORDINATORS. (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITIONS. —(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1095d (as added by section 714) the following new section: "§ 1095e. TRICARE program: beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators "(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITIONS.— The Secretary of Defense shall require in regulations that— "(1) each lead agent under the TRICARE program— "(A) designate a person to serve full-time as a beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator for beneficiaries under the TRICARE program; and "(B) provide for toll-free telephone communication between such beneficiaries and the beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator; and "(2) the commander of each military medical treatment facility under this chapter designate a person to serve, as a primary or collateral duty, as beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator for beneficiaries under the TRICARE program served at that facility. (b) DUTIES. —The Secretary shall prescribe the duties of the position of beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator in the regulations required by subsection (a).". (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1095d the following new item: "1095e. TRICARE program: beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators.". (b) DEADLINE FOR INITIAL DESIGNATIONS. —Each beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator required under the regulations described in section 1095e(a) of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall be designated not later than January 15, 2000. SEC. 716. IMPROVEMENT OF TRICARE MANAGEMENT; IMPROVE- MENTS TO THIRD-PARTY PAYER COLLECTION PROGRAM. (a) IMPROVEMENT OF TRICARE PROGRAM. —(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1097a the following new section: ^'§ 1097b. TRICARE program: financial management "(a) REIMBURSEMENT OF PROVIDERS.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense may reimburse health care providers under the TRICARE program at rates higher than the reimbursement rates otherwise authorized for the providers under that program if the Secretary determines that application of the higher rates is necessary in order to ensure the availability of an adequate number of qualified health care providers under that program. "(2) The amount of reimbursement provided under paragraph (1) with respect to a health care service may not exceed the lesser of the following: "(A) The amount equal to the local fee for service charge for the service in the service area in which the service is provided as determined by the Secretary based on one or more of the following pa3anent rates: "(i) Usual, customary, and reasonable.
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