[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39213-39214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16680]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Extension of Provider Reimbursement Demonstration Project for the 
State of Alaska

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Notice of demonstration extension.

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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 
individual professional providers in the State of Alaska have been set 
at a rate higher than the Medicare rate.

DATES: The demonstration regarding payment rates for physicians and 
other non-institutional providers is extended through December 31, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), Medical Benefits and 
Reimbursement Branch, 16401 East Centretech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011-
9066.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 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. On December 18, 2009, DoD 
published a Notice of demonstration extension (74 FR 67179) that 
extended the demonstration through December 31, 2010. The 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. Due to recent 
Health Care Reform legislation (section 5104, Pub. L. 111-148), 
creating an interagency task force to assess and improve access to 
health care in the State of Alaska, the Agency has determined further 
extension of the Demonstration is needed pending receipt of the Task 
Force's report. The report is due to Congress no later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of the Act that details

[[Page 39214]]

the activities of the Task Force and contains the findings, strategies, 
recommendations, policies, and initiatives developed. The Agency needs 
time after the Task Force's report to review the recommendations and 
determine appropriate related actions; therefore, we are extending the 
Demonstration through December 31, 2012. The demonstration continues to 
be conducted under statutory authority provided in 10 United States 
Code 1092.

    Dated: July 2, 2010.
Mitchell S. Bryman,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2010-16680 Filed 7-7-10; 8:45 am]
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