Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 1.djvu/722

 113 STAT. 698 PUBLIC LAW 106-65 —OCT. 5, 1999 (2) Diagnostic services. (3) Referral services. (4) Clinical pharmacy services. (5) Any other health care services or pharmacy services designated by the Secretaries. (c) SELECTION OF LOCATIONS. — (1) The Secretaries may carry out the demonstration projects described in subsection (a) at not more than five locations selected by the Secretaries from locations in which are located both a uniformed services treatment facility and a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center that are affiliated with academic institutions having a demonstrated expertise in the provision of health care services or pharmacy services by means of telecommunications. (2) Representatives of a facility and medical center selected under paragraph (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, carry out the demonstration project in consultation with representatives of the academic institution or institutions with which affiliated. (d) PERIOD OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. —The Secretaries may carry out the demonstration projects during the three-year period beginning on October 1, 1999. Deadline. (e) REPORT.— Not later than December 31, 2002, the Secretaries shall jointly submit to Congress a report on the demonstration projects. The report shall include— (1) a description of each demonstration project; and (2) an evaluation, based on the demonstration projects, of the feasibility and practicability of using telecommunications to provide health care services and pharmacy services, including the provision of such services to field hospitals of the Armed Forces and to Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient health care clinics. SEC. 725. PROGRAM-YEAR STABILITY DJ HEALTH CARE BENEFITS. Section 1073 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) by inserting "(a) RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS.— " at the beginning of the text of the section; and (2) by adding at the end the following: "(b) STABILITY IN PROGRAM OF BENEFITS.— The Secretary of Defense shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide a stable program of benefits under this chapter throughout each fiscal year. To achieve the stability in the case of managed care support contracts entered into under this chapter, the contracts shall be administered so as to implement all changes in benefits and administration on a quarterly basis. However, the Secretary of Defense may implement any such change prior to the next fiscal quarter if the Secretary determines that the change would significantly improve the provision of care to eligible beneficiaries under this chapter.". SEC. 726. STUDY ON JOINT OPERATIONS FOR THE DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM. Deadline. Not later than October 1, 2000, the Secretary of Defense shall prepare and submit to Congress a study identifying areas with respect to the Defense Health Program for which joint operations might be increased, including organization, training, patient care, hospital management, and budgeting. The study shall include a discussion of the merits and feasibility of—

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