Signed into law (P.L.115-26): “A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes (S.544)"

Note: Annual TRICARE mental health rates now published in manuals. The Department of Defense no longer publishes Federal Register notices for fiscal year mental health rate updates for the TRICARE program. Links to reimbursement rates for freestanding partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and residential treatment centers (RTCs) for the most recent three fiscal years (FY) are posted at http://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Business-Support/Rates-and-Reimbursement/PHP-and-RTC-Rates. This site includes links to the FY2017 PHP rates and FY2017 facility-specific RTC rates.

NAPHS Briefing: "Just-published final rule modernizes TRICARE mental health benefits"

Defense Department final rule: "TRICARE: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment."  Also see 9.16.16 technical amendment.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report: Suicide Among Veterans and Other Americans: 2001-2014.

VA's PTSD Consultation Program now also available to non-VA health providers. Also see outreach materials.

GAO report (GAO-16-353): “Veterans’ Health Care: Proper Plan Needed to Modernize System for Paying Community Providers”

GAO report: "Human Capital: Additional Actions Needed to Enhance DOD's Efforts to Address Mental Health Care Stigma"

NAPHS comment letter on Defense Department's proposed rule on "TRICARE: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment"

Parity Implementation Coalition letter on Defense Department's proposed rule on "TRICARE: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment" 

VA release: "VA Improves Timeliness of Provider Payments" in Veterans Choice Program

Department of Defense guidance memo: "Provision of Telemedicine at a Patient's Location" 

Defense Department proposed rule: "TRICARE: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment"

Department of Veterans Affairs interim final rule: "Expanded Access to Non-VA Care Through the Veterans Choice Program." Also see 4.25.16 correction.

Department of Veterans Affairs final rule: "Expanded Access to Non-VA Care through the Veterans Choice Program"

GAO letter report: "VA Mental Health: Clearer Guidance on Access Policies and Wait-Time Data Needed" (GAO-16-24)

Defense Department notice: "TRICARE (formerly CHAMPUS) FY2016 Mental Health Rate Updates"

Letter from 24 mental health groups to Reps. MacArthur and O'Rourke for the Veterans’ Mental Health Care Access Act (H.R.1604)

NAPHS letter of support to Reps. MacArthur and O'Rourke for the Veterans’ Mental Health Care Access Act (H.R.1604)

Department of Veterans Affairs final rule: "Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program"

Department of Veterans Affairs interim final rule: "Driving Distance Eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program"

Mental Health Liaison Group letter on the Medical Evaluation Parity for Service Members (MEPS) Act (S.646)

Veterans Affairs final rule: "Schedule for Rating Disabilities—Mental Disorders and Definition of Psychosis for Certain VA Purposes"

President Obama signs into law the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act (H.R.203)

Department of Veterans Affairs direct final rule: "Exempting Mental Health Peer Support Services From Copayments."  Also see proposed rule.

Department of Veterans Affairs notice: "Wait-Time Goals of the Department for the Veterans Choice Program" (updates start date)

Department of Veterans Affairs interim final rule: "Expanded Access to Non-VA Care through the Veterans Choice Program."  (Also see 11.21.14 notice updating start date.)

Department of Veterans Affairs notice: "Publication of Wait-Times for the Department for the Veterans Choice Program"

VA interim final rule: "Schedule for Rating Disabilities—Mental Disorders and Definition of Psychosis for Certain VA Purposes"

Defense Department final rule: "TRICARE Certified Mental Health Counselors"

NAPHS letter of support to Reps. Gardner and Capps for Caring for America’s Heroes Act, H.R.4656

NAPHS letter of support to Sens. Stabenow, Blunt, Franken, and Moran for Caring for America’s Heroes Act, S.2276

Support letter from NAPHS and 27 national organizations for the Medical Evaluation Parity for Service Members (MEPS) Act (H.R.4305/S.2231)

Defense Department notice of demonstration: "Extension [1 year] of Autism Services Demonstration Project for TRICARE Beneficiaries Under the Extended Care Health Option"

Department of Veterans Affairs final rule: "Secondary Service Connection for Diagnosable Illnesses Associated With Traumatic Brain Injury"

Department of Defense notice: "TRICARE Fiscal Year 2014 Mental Health Rate Updates"

Department of Defense final rule: "TRICARE; Removal of the Prohibition To Use Addictive Drugs in the Maintenance Treatment of Substance Dependence in TRICARE Beneficiaries"

DoD final rule: "TRICARE: Elimination of the Non-Availability Statement Requirement for Non-Emergency Inpatient Mental Health Care"

NAPHS comment letter on proposed rule: "TRICARE: Removal of the Prohibition to Use Addictive Drugs in the Maintenance Treatment of Substance Dependence in TRICARE Beneficiaries" [View]

NAPHS comment letter on proposed rule: "TRICARE: Extended Care Health Option" on autism [View]

Dept. of Defense notice: "Termination of the Department of Defense Web-Based TRICARE assistance program demonstration" [View]

Child Welfare Information Gateway: "Working with Military Families" [View]

Defense Department interim final rule: "TRICARE: Certified Mental Health Counselors"

Proposed rule: "TRICARE: Elimination of the Non-Availability Statement (NAS) Requirement for Non-Emergency Inpatient Mental Health Care" [View]

Veterans Affairs Department final rule: "Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program" [View]

CHAMPUS: Tricare Young Adult program (interim final rule) -- to provide an extended medical coverage opportunity to most unmarried children under 26 of uniformed services [View]

TRICARE: "Notice of two-year continuation of disease management demonstration project for TRICARE standard beneficiaries" [View]

NAPHS comment letter to DoD on proposed rule for TRICARE reimbursement for travel for specialty care under exceptional circumstances [View]

Institute of Medicine consensus report: Provision of Mental Health Counseling Services under TRICARE [View]

Tricare final rule: Hospital-based psychiatric partial hospital programs (TRICARE approval of a hospital is sufficient for its psychiatric partial hospitalization program to be an authorized TRICARE provider) [View]

TRICARE; Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS): Statement Concerning Additional Public Comments Following Final Rule Issuance [View]

NAPHS comment letter: "TRICARE: Outpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System (OPPS): Delay of Effective Date and Additional Opportunity for Public Comment” [View]