[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6690. Mr. SHEEHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle A of title VII add the following:

     SEC. 716. MODIFICATION OF RATES OF PAY FOR A PROVIDER OF CARE 
                   OR SERVICES FURNISHED UNDER TRICARE PROGRAM.

       (a) Rates.--Section 1097b(a) of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and 
     inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3)(A)''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``(3) In establishing'' 
     and inserting the following:
       ``(3)(A) The Secretary shall establish rates for payments 
     to providers of care or services under the TRICARE program 
     that are specific with respect to the following sites of 
     service at which the care or service is actually provided 
     (regardless of the physical location of the headquarters of 
     the provider):
       ``(i) A hospital outpatient department.
       ``(ii) An ambulatory surgical center.
       ``(iii) The office of a physician.
       ``(iv) Such other sites as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate in carrying out this paragraph.
       ``(B) The Secretary shall ensure that--
       ``(i) each site specified in subparagraph (A) obtains a 
     National Provider Identifier pursuant to section 1833(t)(23) 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(t)(23)) that is 
     separate and unique from such identifier for such provider; 
     and
       ``(ii) no payment for care or services under any provision 
     of this chapter may be made unless the claim for such payment 
     includes the National Provider Identifier for the site at 
     which such hospital care, medical services, or extended care 
     services were furnished.
       ``(C) In the case of covered OPD services (as defined in 
     section 1833(t)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1395l(t)(1)(B))) that are provided by a provider that is an 
     off-campus outpatient department of a provider (as defined in 
     section 1833(t)(21)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1395l(t)(21)(B)), disregarding clauses (ii) and (iv) thereof, 
     as if such clauses did not exist), the Secretary shall ensure 
     that--
       ``(i) such department is treated as a subpart of such 
     provider and assigned a unique health identifier pursuant to 
     subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;
       ``(ii) such provider includes such identifier on any claim 
     form it submits under this subsection; and
       ``(iii) such provider may not hold a member of the 
     uniformed services or covered beneficiary liable for such 
     item or service unless such care or services are billed using 
     the separate unique health identifier established for such 
     department under this paragraph.
       ``(D) Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to--
       ``(i) prevent the Secretary from determining the 
     appropriate amount of a facility fee;
       ``(ii) require the Secretary to pay, for the same item or 
     service--
       ``(I) an independent physician the same amount as the 
     Secretary would pay a hospital-based physician; or
       ``(II) a hospital-based physician less than the Secretary 
     would pay an independent physician; or
       ``(iii) affect the authority of the Secretary under 
     paragraph (2).
       ``(E) In establishing''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on January 1, 2028.
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