STANDARDS AND TRACKING OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR WOUNDED, INJURED, OR ILL SERVICEMEMBERS RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM A COMBAT ZONE.

SEC. 733. STANDARDS AND TRACKING OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR WOUNDED, INJURED, OR ILL SERVICEMEMBERS RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM A COMBAT ZONE.(a) Report on Uniform Standards for Access.—Not later than 90 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 uniform standards for the access of wounded, injured, or ill members of the Armed Forces to health care services in the United States following return from a combat zone.(b) Matters Covered.—The report required by subsection (a) shall describe in detail policies with respect to the following:(1) The access of wounded, injured, or ill members of the Armed Forces to emergency care.(2) The access of such members to surgical services.(3) Waiting times for referrals and consultations of such members by medical personnel, dental personnel, mental health specialists, and rehabilitative service specialists, including personnel and specialists with expertise in prosthetics and in the treatment of head, vision, and spinal cord injuries.(4) Waiting times of such members for acute care and for routine follow-up care.120 STAT. 2299(c) Referral to Providers Outside Military Health Care System.—The Secretary shall require that health care services and rehabilitation needs of members described in subsection (a) be met through whatever means or mechanisms possible, including through the referral of members described in that subsection to health care providers outside the military health care system.(d) Uniform System for Tracking of Performance.—The Secretary shall establish a uniform system for tracking the performance of the military health care system in meeting the requirements for access of wounded, injured, or ill members of the Armed Forces to health care services described in subsection (a).(e) Reports.—(1) Tracking system.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the system established under subsection (d).(2) Access.—Not later than October 1, 2006, and each quarter thereafter during fiscal year 2007, the Secretary shall submit to such committees a report on the performance of the health care system in meeting the access standards described in the report required by subsection (a).