Digital system for beneficiary assistance at military medical treatment facilities and through managed care support contractors

(a) Digital system for access assistance (1) In general Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a digital system under which a covered beneficiary who receives health care at a military medical treatment facility or through a managed care support contractor under the TRICARE program may electronically— (A) file a complaint, raise awareness about an issue, or provide positive feedback relating to access to care at such military medical treatment facility or through such managed care support contractor; and (B) view the status of such complaint or issue at any time, including the status of any interim or final action taken to address the complaint or issue. (2) Process The Director of the Defense Health Agency shall develop a process to acknowledge receipt of complaints or issues under paragraph (1)(A) and specify a timeline for response to such complaints or issues. (3) Transmittal to patient advocates Any complaint or issue filed under paragraph (1)(A) shall be promptly transmitted to an appropriate patient advocate of the Department of Defense. (4) Military medical treatment facility complaints or issues Complaints or issues filed under paragraph (1)(A) with respect to a military medical treatment facility may be automatically aggregated and submitted to the Director of the Defense Health Agency on a quarterly basis. (b) Report on complaints filed under digital system (1) Submission Not later than March 1 of each year during the three-year period following the establishment of the system under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the total number of complaints or issues filed under such system. (2) Elements Each report under paragraph (1) shall include, for each military medical treatment facility with respect to which a complaint or issue was filed under the system under subsection (a), the following: (A) An identification of the most common access to care complaints or issues filed by covered beneficiaries with respect to such facility. (B) A comparison of the number of complaints or issues filed regarding access to specialty care versus access to primary care. (C) A comparison of the number of complaints or issues filed regarding access to women’s health care versus access to health care that is not women’s health care. (D) A comparison of the number of complaints or issues filed regarding access to pediatric care versus access to non-pediatric care. (E) A comparison of the number of complaints or issues filed regarding administrative hurdles to access to care versus other access to care issues. (F) A summary of steps taken at such facility to reduce access to care complaints or issues by covered beneficiaries. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered beneficiary The term covered beneficiary means an individual enrolled in a health care plan under the TRICARE program and eligible to receive care at a military medical treatment facility. (2) Managed care support contractor The term managed care support contractor means a health care organization contracted to provide care via a managed support contract in support of the health benefits under the TRICARE program. (3) TRICARE program The term TRICARE program has the meaning given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.