PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE AT MILITARY ENTRANCE PROCESSING STATIONS AND ELSEWHERE OUTSIDE MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITIES.

SEC. 733. PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE AT MILITARY ENTRANCE PROCESSING STATIONS AND ELSEWHERE OUTSIDE MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITIES. (a) Extension of Authorization for Use of Personal Services Contracts.—Section 1091(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended in the second sentence by striking out “the end of the one-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this paragraph” and inserting in lieu thereof “December 31, 2000”. (b) Test of Alternative Process for Conducting Medical Screenings for Enlistment Qualification.— (1) The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a test to— (A) determine whether the use of an alternative to the system currently used by the Department of Defense of employing fee-basis physicians for determining the medical qualifications for enlistment of applicants for military service would reduce the number of disqualifying medical conditions that are detected during the initial entry training of such applicants; (B) determine whether any savings or cost avoidance maybe achieved through use of an alternative system as a result of any increased detection of disqualifying medical conditions before entry by applicants into initial entry training; and (C) compare the capability of an alternative system to meet or exceed the cost, responsiveness, and timeliness standards of the system currently used by the Department. (2) The alternative system described in paragraph (1) may include the system used under the TRICARE system, the health-care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other system, or combination of systems, considered appropriate by the Secretary. (3) Not later than March 1, 2000, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on National Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate a report on the results and findings of the test conducted under paragraph (1).