Notice of an Extension of a TRICARE Demonstration Project for the State of Alaska, 67179 [E9-30089]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 242 / Friday, December 18, 2009 / Notices
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information.
DOD Clearance Officer: Ms. Patricia
Toppings.
Written requests for copies of the
information collection proposal should
be sent to Ms. Toppings at WHS/ESD/
Information Management Division, 1777
North Kent Street, RPN, Suite 11000,
Arlington, VA 22209–2133.
Dated: December 4, 2009.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer,
Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E9–30088 Filed 12–17–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Notice of an Extension of a TRICARE
Demonstration Project for the State of
Alaska
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AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of
Defense (Health Affairs)/TRICARE
Management Activity, Department of
Defense.
ACTION: Notice of extension of
demonstration project.
SUMMARY: This notice advises interested
parties of the extension of a Military
Health System (MHS) demonstration
project entitled ‘‘TRICARE
Demonstration Project for the State of
Alaska.’’ The original demonstration
notice was published on May 18, 2004
(69 FR 28124–28125), and described a
demonstration project to exempt the
underwriting provisions for the cost of
civilian health care in the State of
Alaska from the TRICARE managed care
support contract for the Western Region.
The demonstration was to be conducted
for up to 5 years after the start of health
care delivery under the contract and
therefore, was scheduled to end on
March 31, 2009. On February 23, 2009,
a notice was published in the Federal
Register (74 FR 8068–8069) to extend
the demonstration for 1 additional year.
As the rulemaking process has not yet
been completed, the demonstration
project will now be extended for 1
additional year (March 31, 2011).
There is no cost impact that is caused
by this extension.
DATES: Effective Date: The extension of
the demonstration will be effective
April 1, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Michael O’Bar, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)—
TRICARE Management Activity,
TRICARE Policy and Operations
Directorate, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:33 Dec 17, 2009
Jkt 220001
810, Falls Church, VA 22041–3206;
telephone (703) 681–0039.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
For additional information on the
TRICARE Demonstration Project for the
State of Alaska, please see 74 FR 8068–
8069. The demonstration notice focused
on the unique situation involved in the
delivery of health care services in the
State of Alaska, which cannot be
addressed fully by applying all of the atrisk standards that apply to the
TRICARE managed care support
contracts under which services are
provided in the other 49 States without
some modification. Under the extended
demonstration, the current Western
Region managed care support contractor
will continue to be exempt from the
underwriting provisions for the cost of
civilian health care in the State of
Alaska. The contractor shall provide all
the services required for Alaska as
specified in the TRICARE Operations
Manual, Chapter 23, but will not be
responsible for the underwriting fee
associated with providing those services
under that chapter. All other provisions
contained in the TRICARE managed
care support contract, TRICARE
Operations Manual (6010.51–M),
TRICARE Policy Manual 6010.54–M),
TRICARE Systems Manual (7950.1–M),
and TRICARE Reimbursement Manual
(6010.55–M), shall apply in Alaska.
B. Description of Extension of
Demonstration Project
The demonstration project will now
be extended for 1 additional year
(March 31, 2011).
Dated: December 15, 2009.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer,
Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E9–30089 Filed 12–17–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Extension of Provider Reimbursement
Demonstration Project for the State of
Alaska
Department of Defense (DoD).
Notice of demonstration
extension.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice provides an
extension of the demonstration project
in the State of Alaska for individual
provider payment rates. Under the
demonstration, payment rates for
physicians and other non-institutional
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67179
individual professional providers in the
State of Alaska have been set at a rate
higher than the Medicare rate. Further,
the enhanced portion of the State of
Alaska demonstration that provides for
reimbursement of 101 percent of
reasonable costs for inpatient and
outpatient facilities of Critical Access
Hospitals (CAHs) is terminated because
it is no longer necessary based on
publication of the TRICARE
Reimbursement of CAHs final rule (74
FR 44752) on August 31, 2009.
DATES: The portion of the demonstration
regarding payment rates for physicians
and other non-institutional providers is
extended through December 31, 2010.
The CAH portion of the demonstration
shall end on November 30, 2009.
ADDRESSES: TRICARE Management
Activity (TMA), Medical Benefits and
Reimbursement Branch, 16401 East
Centretech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011–
9066.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Glenn J. Corn, TRICARE Management
Activity, Medical Benefits and
Reimbursement Branch, telephone (303)
676–3566.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
November 20, 2006, DoD published a
Notice of a TRICARE demonstration
project for the State of Alaska, with an
effective date of January 1, 2007 (71 FR
67113), to set payment rates for
physicians and other non-institutional
individual professional providers in the
State of Alaska at a rate higher than the
Medicare rate. The demonstration was
effective January 1, 2007, for a period of
three years, ending on December 31,
2009. Since that time, DoD has
determined that increasing provider
payment rates (factor rate increase) in
Alaska, across all services, has shown
mixed results on provider participation,
beneficiary access to care, cost of health
care services, military readiness, and
morale and welfare. The Agency feels an
extension of the demonstration is
needed to provide more time to fully
evaluate and implement a
comprehensive framework for managing
TRICARE in the State of Alaska. In the
meantime, the Agency is looking toward
developing a more comprehensive,
updated management and
reimbursement strategy that will
provide a foundation for developing and
implementing a comprehensive longterm plan through collaboration with
Federal Service Partners for mutually
accepted Federal rates. The
demonstration continues to be
conducted under statutory authority
provided in 10 United States Code 1092.
Subsequent to the publication of the
initial notice creating the increased rates
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18DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 242 (Friday, December 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 67179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30089]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Office of the Secretary
Notice of an Extension of a TRICARE Demonstration Project for the
State of Alaska
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)/TRICARE
Management Activity, Department of Defense.
ACTION: Notice of extension of demonstration project.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises interested parties of the extension of a
Military Health System (MHS) demonstration project entitled ``TRICARE
Demonstration Project for the State of Alaska.'' The original
demonstration notice was published on May 18, 2004 (69 FR 28124-28125),
and described a demonstration project to exempt the underwriting
provisions for the cost of civilian health care in the State of Alaska
from the TRICARE managed care support contract for the Western Region.
The demonstration was to be conducted for up to 5 years after the start
of health care delivery under the contract and therefore, was scheduled
to end on March 31, 2009. On February 23, 2009, a notice was published
in the Federal Register (74 FR 8068-8069) to extend the demonstration
for 1 additional year. As the rulemaking process has not yet been
completed, the demonstration project will now be extended for 1
additional year (March 31, 2011).
There is no cost impact that is caused by this extension.
DATES: Effective Date: The extension of the demonstration will be
effective April 1, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael O'Bar, Office of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)--TRICARE Management
Activity, TRICARE Policy and Operations Directorate, 5111 Leesburg
Pike, Suite 810, Falls Church, VA 22041-3206; telephone (703) 681-0039.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
For additional information on the TRICARE Demonstration Project for
the State of Alaska, please see 74 FR 8068-8069. The demonstration
notice focused on the unique situation involved in the delivery of
health care services in the State of Alaska, which cannot be addressed
fully by applying all of the at-risk standards that apply to the
TRICARE managed care support contracts under which services are
provided in the other 49 States without some modification. Under the
extended demonstration, the current Western Region managed care support
contractor will continue to be exempt from the underwriting provisions
for the cost of civilian health care in the State of Alaska. The
contractor shall provide all the services required for Alaska as
specified in the TRICARE Operations Manual, Chapter 23, but will not be
responsible for the underwriting fee associated with providing those
services under that chapter. All other provisions contained in the
TRICARE managed care support contract, TRICARE Operations Manual
(6010.51-M), TRICARE Policy Manual 6010.54-M), TRICARE Systems Manual
(7950.1-M), and TRICARE Reimbursement Manual (6010.55-M), shall apply
in Alaska.
B. Description of Extension of Demonstration Project
The demonstration project will now be extended for 1 additional
year (March 31, 2011).
Dated: December 15, 2009.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. E9-30089 Filed 12-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
