Department of Defense March 16, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Defense Science Board will meet in closed session on May 13-14, 2009; at the Pentagon, Arlington, VA. The mission of the Defense Science Board is to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on scientific and technical matters as they affect the perceived needs of the Department of Defense. At this meeting, the Board will discuss interim finding and recommendations resulting from ongoing Task Force activities. The Board will also discuss plans for future consideration of scientific and technical aspects of specific strategies, tactics, and policies as they may affect the U. S. national defense posture and homeland security.

This notice is to advise interested parties of the continuation and expansion of a Military Health System (MHS) demonstration project entitled ``Disease Management Demonstration Project for TRICARE Standard Beneficiaries''. The original demonstration notice was published on June 13, 2007 (72 FR 32628-32629) and described a demonstration project to provide disease management (DM) services to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries in addition to the TRICARE Prime beneficiaries who were already entitled to such services. TRICARE began the demonstration project in March 2007 for Standard beneficiaries and this demonstration project has enabled the MHS to provide uniform policies and practices on disease and chronic care management throughout the TRICARE network. Additionally, the demonstration has helped determine the effectiveness of DM programs in improving the health status of beneficiaries with targeted chronic diseases or conditions, and any associated cost savings. The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) chose a phased approach to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of its disease management demonstration, beginning with beneficiaries identified with the disease states of asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. TMA now intends to expand the disease management services to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries with the additional disease states of cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and anxiety and depression disorders as well as continue the original disease states of asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. This expansion and continuation of the DM demonstration project will be conducted under the authority provided in 10 U.S.C. 1092.