Pub. L. 100-463, tit. VIII, sec. 8116

Sec. 8116. During the current fiscal year, the Secretary of Defense may exempt a patient from paying an amount required by section 1079(b)(1) or 1086(b)(3) of title 10, United States Code, if the hospital to which the patient is admitted does not impose a legal obligation on any of its patients to pay for inpatient care: Provided, That the Secretary of Defense may, upon request, make payments under section 1079 or 1086 of title 10, United States Code, for a charge for services (which shall not exceed the average amount paid for com-parable services in the geographic area in which the hospital is located, or if no comparable services are available in that area, in an area similar to the area in which the hospital is located) for which a claim is submitted under a plan contracted for under section 1079(a) or 1086(a) of title 10, United States Code, to a hospital that does not impose a legal obligation on any of its patients to pay for such services: Provided further, That the Secretary of Defense shall periodically review the billing practices of each hospital the Secretary approves for payment under this section, to ensure that the hospital’s practice of not billing patients for payment does not result in increased costs to the Government and the Secretary may require each hospital approved for payment under this section to provide evidence that it has sources of revenue to cover unbilled costs.