title: TRICARE; elimination of the non-availability statement (NAS) requirement for non-emergency inpatient mental health care. Final rule.
abstract: This final rule eliminates the requirement that states a NAS is needed for non-emergency inpatient mental health care in order for a TRICARE Standard beneficiary's claim to be paid. Currently, NAS are required for non-emergency inpatient mental health care for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries who live within a military treatment facility catchment area. At this time, the number of NASs issued is negligible as most mental health admissions are emergency admissions. Requiring a NAS for a relatively few non-emergency inpatient mental health admissions is disproportionate to the cost of maintaining the systems necessary to process and coordinate the NAS.
mesh_terms: D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States