§ 1095e. TRICARE program: beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators

(a)Establishment of Positions.— The Secretary of Defense shall require in regulations that—

(1) each lead agent under the TRICARE program—

(A) designate a person to serve full-time as a beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator for beneficiaries under the TRICARE program;

(B) designate for each of the TRICARE program regions at least one person (other than a person designated under subparagraph (A)) to serve full-time as a beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator solely for members of the reserve components and their dependents who are beneficiaries under the TRICARE program; and

(C) provide for toll-free telephone communication between such beneficiaries and the beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator; and

(2) the commander of each military medical treatment facility under this chapter designate a person to serve, as a primary or collateral duty, as beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator for beneficiaries under the TRICARE program served at that facility.

(b)Duties.— The Secretary shall prescribe the duties of the position of beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator in the regulations required by subsection (a).

(Added Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VII, § 715(a)(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 690; amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title VII, § 707, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1529.)

Amendments

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–136 added subpar. (B) and redesignated former subpar. (B) as (C).

Miscellaneous

Deadline for Initial Designations

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VII, § 715(b), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 690, directed that each beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator required under the regulations described in subsec. (a) of this section be designated not later than Jan. 15, 2000.