SURVEYS ON CONTINUED VIABILITY OF TRICARE STANDARD.

SEC. 723. SURVEYS ON CONTINUED VIABILITY OF TRICARE STANDARD.(a) Requirement for Surveys.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall conduct surveys in the TRICARE market areas in the United States to determine how many health care providers are accepting new patients under TRICARE Standard in each such market area.(2) The Secretary shall carry out the surveys in at least 20 TRICARE market areas in the United States each fiscal year after fiscal year 2003 until all such market areas in the United States have been surveyed. The Secretary shall complete six of the fiscal year 2004 surveys not later than March 31, 2004.(3) In prioritizing the market areas for the sequence in which market areas are to be surveyed under this subsection, the Secretary shall consult with representatives of TRICARE beneficiaries and health care providers to identify locations where TRICARE Standard beneficiaries are experiencing significant levels of access-to-care problems under TRICARE Standard and shall give a high priority to surveying health care providers in such areas.(b) Supervision.—(1) The Secretary shall designate a senior official of the Department of Defense to take the actions necessary 117 STAT. 1533 for achieving and maintaining participation of health care providers in TRICARE Standard in each TRICARE market area in a number that is adequate to ensure the viability of TRICARE Standard for TRICARE beneficiaries in that market area.(2) The official designated under paragraph (1) shall have the following duties:(A) To educate health care providers about TRICARE Standard.(B) To encourage health care providers to accept patients under TRICARE Standard.(C) To ensure that TRICARE beneficiaries have the information necessary to locate TRICARE Standard providers readily.(D) To recommend adjustments in TRICARE Standard provider payment rates that the official considers necessary to ensure adequate availability of TRICARE Standard providers for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries.(c) GAO Review.—(1) The Comptroller General shall, on an ongoing basis, review—(A) the processes, procedures, and analysis used by the Department of Defense to determine the adequacy of the number of health care providers—(i) that currently accept TRICARE Standard beneficiaries as patients under TRICARE Standard in each TRICARE market area (as of the date of completion of the review); and(ii) that would accept TRICARE Standard beneficiaries as new patients under TRICARE Standard in each TRICARE market area (within a reasonable time after the date of completion of the review); and(B) the actions taken by the Department of Defense to ensure ready access of TRICARE Standard beneficiaries to health care under TRICARE Standard in each TRICARE market area.(2)(A) The Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a semiannual report on the results of the review under paragraph (1). The first semiannual report shall be submitted not later than June 30, 2004.(B) The semiannual report under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:(i) An analysis of the adequacy of the surveys under subsection (a).(ii) The adequacy of existing statutory authority to address inadequate levels of participation by health care providers in TRICARE Standard.(iii) Identification of policy-based obstacles to achieving adequacy of availability of TRICARE Standard health care in the TRICARE market areas.(iv) An assessment of the adequacy of Department of Defense education programs to inform health care providers about TRICARE Standard.(v) An assessment of the adequacy of Department of Defense initiatives to encourage health care providers to accept patients under TRICARE Standard.117 STAT. 1534(vi) An assessment of the adequacy of information available to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries to facilitate access by such beneficiaries to health care under TRICARE Standard.(vii) Any need for adjustment of health care provider payment rates to attract participation in TRICARE Standard by appropriate numbers of health care providers. (d) Definitions.—In this section:(1) The term “TRICARE Standard” means the option of the TRICARE program that is also known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, as defined in section 1072(4) of title 10, United States Code.(2) The term “United States” means the United States (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code), its possessions (as defined in such section), and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.