Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 3.djvu/241

 PUBLIC LAW 106-398—APPENDIX 114 STAT. 1654A-199 services, the number of such providers who are CHAMPUS participating providers, the number of covered beneficiaries under CHAMPUS in the locahty, the availability of military providers in the location or a nearby location, and any other factors determined to be relevant by the Secretary.". (b) REPORTS.—(1) Not later than March 31, 2001, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the General Accounting Office a report on actions taken to carry out section 1079(h)(5) of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)) and section 1097b of such title. (2) Not later than May 1, 2001, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report analyzing the utility of— (A) increased reimbursement authorities with respect to ensuring the availability of network providers and nonnetwork providers under the TRICARE program to covered beneficiaries under chapter 55 of such title; and (B) requiring a reimbursement limitation of 70 percent of usual and customary rates rather than 115 percent of maximum allowable charges under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services. (3)(A) 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 extent to which physicians are choosing not to participate in contracts for the furnishing of health care in rural States under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code. The report shall include the following: (i) The number of physicians in rural States who are withdrawing from participation, or otherwise refusing to participate, in the health care contracts. (ii) The reasons for the withdrawals and refusals, (iii) The actions that the Secretary of Defense can take to encourage more physicians to participate in the health care contracts. (iv) Any recommendations for legislation that the Secretary considers necessary to encourage more physicians to participate in the health care contracts. (B) In this paragraph, the term "rural State" means a State that has, on average, as determined by the Bureau of the Census in the latest decennial census— (i) fewer than 76 residents per square mile; and (ii) fewer than 211 actively practicing physicians (not counting physicians employed by the United States) per 100,000 residents. SEC. 758. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN TRAVEL EXPENSES. (a) IN GENERAL. —Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1074h (as added by section 706) the following new section: "§ 10741. Reimbursement for certain travel expenses "In any case in which a covered beneficiary is referred by a primary care physician to a specialty care provider who provides services more than 100 miles from the location in which the primary

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