†
308
HR 1585 PP
(C) The availability of mental health care
providers in TRICARE Prime service areas se-
lected under paragraph (3)(C) and in geographic
areas in which TRICARE Prime is not offered.
(2) BENCHMARKS.—The Secretary shall establish
for purposes of the surveys required by paragraph (1)
benchmarks for primary care and specialty care pro-
viders, including mental health care providers, to be
utilized to determine the adequacy of health care pro-
viders to beneficiaries eligible for TRICARE.
(3) SCOPE
OF
SURVEYS.—The Secretary shall
carry out the surveys required by paragraph (1) as
follows:
(A) In the case of the surveys required by
subparagraph (A) of that paragraph, in at least
20 TRICARE Prime service areas in the United
States in each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011.
(B) In the case of the surveys required by
subparagraph (B) of that paragraph, in 20 geo-
graphic areas in which TRICARE Prime is not
offered and in which significant numbers of
beneficiaries who are members of the Selected Re-
serve reside.
†
309
HR 1585 PP
(C) In the case of the surveys required by
subparagraph (C) of that paragraph, in at least
40 geographic areas.
(4) PRIORITY FOR SURVEYS.—In prioritizing the
areas which are to be surveyed under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall—
(A) 
consult 
with 
representatives 
of
TRICARE beneficiaries and health care and
mental health care providers to identify locations
where TRICARE Standard beneficiaries are ex-
periencing significant levels of access-to-care
problems 
under 
TRICARE 
Standard 
or
TRICARE Extra; and
(B) give a high priority to surveying health
care and mental health care providers in such
areas.
(5) INFORMATION FROM PROVIDERS.—The sur-
veys required by paragraph (1) shall include ques-
tions seeking to determine from health care and men-
tal health care providers the following:
(A) Whether the provider is aware of the
TRICARE program.
(B) What percentage of the provider’s cur-
rent patient population uses any form of
TRICARE.
†
310
HR 1585 PP
(C) Whether the provider accepts patients
for whom payment is made under the medicare
program for health care and mental health care
services.
(D) If the provider accepts patients referred
to in subparagraph (C), whether the provider
would accept additional such patients who are
not in the provider’s current patient population.
(6) INFORMATION
FROM
BENEFICIARIES.—The
surveys required by paragraph (1) shall include ques-
tions 
seeking 
information 
to 
determine 
from
TRICARE beneficiaries whether they have difficulties
in finding health care and mental health care pro-
viders willing to provide services under TRICARE
Standard or TRICARE Extra.
(b) SUPERVISION.—
(1) SUPERVISING OFFICIAL.—The Secretary shall
designate a senior official of the Department of De-
fense to take the actions necessary for achieving and
maintaining participation of health care and mental
health care providers in TRICARE Standard and
TRICARE Extra throughout TRICARE in a number
that is adequate to ensure the viability of TRICARE
Standard for TRICARE beneficiaries.
†
311
HR 1585 PP
(2) DUTIES.—The official designated under
paragraph (1) shall have the following duties:
(A) To make recommendations to the Sec-
retary for purposes of subsection (a)(2) on ap-
propriate benchmarks for measuring the ade-
quacy of health care and mental health care pro-
viders in TRICARE Prime service areas and ge-
ographic areas in the United States in which
TRICARE Prime is not offered.
(B) To educate health care and mental
health care providers about TRICARE Standard
and TRICARE Extra.
(C) To encourage health care and mental
health care providers to accept patients under
TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra.
(D) To ensure that TRICARE beneficiaries
have 
the 
information 
necessary 
to 
locate
TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra pro-
viders readily.
(E) 
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.—