CLINICAL TRIAL ON COGNITIVE REHABILITATIVE THERAPY FOR MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

SEC. 723. CLINICAL TRIAL ON COGNITIVE REHABILITATIVE THERAPY FOR MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.(a) Clinical Trial Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall provide for a clinical trial to assess the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitative therapy for members or former members of the Armed Forces described in subsection (b).(b) Covered Members and Former Members.—A member or former member of the Armed Forces described in this subsection is a member or former member of the Armed Forces who—(1) has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) incurred in the line of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom; and(2) is referred by a qualified physician, as determined by the Secretary, for cognitive rehabilitative therapy.(c) Funding.—123 STAT. 2389(1) In general.—The trial required by subsection (a) shall be funded as a medical research project using amounts authorized to be appropriated for Defense Health Program for research and development.(2) Prohibition on use of certain funds.—Amounts in the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund under chapter 56 of title 10, United States Code, may not be used to carry out the provisions of this section.(d) Reports.—(1) Report on plan and design for trial.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth a plan for the conduct of the trial required by subsection (a), including a description of the proposed design of the trial.(2) Final report.—Not later than one year after the completion of the trial required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth, at a minimum, the following:(A) An assessment of the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitative therapy in treating traumatic brain injury in members and former members of the Armed Forces described in subsection (b).(B) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate on means to provide increased access to safe, effective, and quality cognitive rehabilitative therapy services for such members and former members, including recommendations regarding the following:(i) Procedures for access of such members and former members to cognitive rehabilitative therapy services, including appropriate treatment plans and outcome measures.(ii) Qualifications and supervisory requirements for licensed and certified health care professionals in the provision of such services to such members and former members.(iii) A methodology for reimbursing providers of such services in the provision of such services to such members and former members.(C) The recommendation of the Secretary as to the advisability of including cognitive rehabilitative therapy as a benefit under the TRICARE program.