97-26461. TRICARE Formerly Known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); Fiscal Year 1998 Mental Health Rate Updates

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 193 (Monday, October 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52090-52091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26461]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


TRICARE Formerly Known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program 
of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); Fiscal Year 1998 Mental Health 
Rate Updates

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of updated mental health per diem rates.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides for the updating of hospital-specific per 
diem rates for high volume providers and regional per diem rates for 
low volume providers; the updated cap per diem for high volume 
providers; the beneficiary per diem cost-share amount for low volume 
providers for FY 1998 under the TRICARE Mental Health Per Diem Payment 
System; and the updated per diem rates for both full-day and half-day 
TRICARE Partial Hospitalization Programs for fiscal year 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The rates contained in this notice are effective for 
services occurring on or after October 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stan Regensberg, Program Development Branch, TRICARE Support Office, 
telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final rule published in the Federal 
Register on September 6, 1988, (53 FR 34285) set forth reimbursement 
changes that were effective for all inpatient hospital admissions in 
psychiatric hospitals and exempt psychiatric units occurring on or 
after January 1, 1989. The final rule published in the Federal Register 
on

[[Page 52091]]

July 1, 1993, (58 FR 35-400) set forth maximum per diem rates for all 
partial hospitalization admissions on or after September 29, 1993. 
Included in these final rules were provisions for updating 
reimbursement rates for each federal fiscal year. As stated in the 
final rules, each per diem shall be updated by the Medicare update 
factor for hospitals and units exempt from the Medicare Prospective 
Payment System. The final rule published in the Federal Register March 
7, 1995, (60 FR 12419) set forth retaining all per diems in effect at 
the end of fiscal year 1995 with no additional updates for fiscal years 
1996 and 1997. Medicare has recommended a rate of increase of 0 percent 
for federal fiscal year 1998 for hospitals and units excluded from the 
prospective payment system. TRICARE will adopt this update factor for 
FY 1998 as the final update factor.
    Hospital and units with hospital-specific rates (hospitals and 
units with high TRICARE volume) and regional specific rates for 
psychiatric hospitals and units with low TRICARE volume will have their 
TRICARE rates remain at FY 1995 levels. Partial hospitalization rates 
for full day and half day programs will also remain at FY 1995 levels. 
The cap amount for high volume hospitals and units will stay at the FY 
1995 level. The beneficiary cost-share of low volume hospitals and 
units will also stay at the FY 1995 level. The wage portion of the 
regional rate subject to the area wage adjustment will be 71.1 percent 
for FY 1998.

    Dated: October 1, 1997.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 97-26461 Filed 10-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M