TRICARE; sub-acute care program; uniform skilled nursing facility benefit; home health care benefit; adopting Medicare payment methods for skilled nursing facilities and home health care providers. Final rule

This rule partially implements the TRICARE "sub-acute and long-term care program reform" enacted by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, specifically: Establishment of "an effective, efficient, and integrated sub-acute care benefits program," with skilled nursing facility (SNF) and home health care benefits modeled after those of the Medicare program; adoption of Medicare payment methods for skilled nursing facility, home health care, and certain other institutional health care providers; adoption of Medicare rules on balance billing of beneficiaries, prohibiting it by institutional providers and limiting it by non-institutional providers; and change in the statutory exclusion of coverage for custodial and domiciliary care.     

Federal employees health benefits program; revision of contract cost principles and procedures, and miscellaneous changes. Final rule

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation amending the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Acquisition Regulation (FEHBAR). This regulation provides additional contract cost principles and procedures for FEHB Program experience-rated contracts and is intended to clarify our requirements and enhance our oversight of FEHB carriers.     

TRICARE; elimination of non-availability statement and referral authorization requirements and elimination of specialized treatment services program. Final rule

This rule implements Section 735 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (NDAA-02) (Pub. L. 107-107). It also implements Section 728 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (NDAA-01) (Pub. L. 106-398). Section 735 of NDAA-02 eliminates the requirement for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries who live within a 40-mile radius of a military medical treatment facility (MTF) to obtain a nonavailability statement (NAS) or preauthorization from an MTF before receiving inpatient care (other than mental health services) or maternity care from a civilian provider in order that TRICARE will cost-share for such services. Section 735 of NDAA-02, however, authorizes the Department of Defense to make exceptions to the elimination of the requirement for a NAS through the exercise of a waiver process under certain specified conditions. This section also eliminates the NAS requirement for specialized treatment services (STSs) for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries who live outside the 200-mile radius of a designated STS facility. This rule portrays the Department's decision to eliminate the STS program entirely. Finally, Section 728 of NDAA-01 requires that prior authorization before referral to a specialty care provider that is part of the contractor network be eliminated under any new TRICARE contract.     

Fair credit reporting medical information regulations. Final rules

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, and NCUA (Agencies) are publishing final rules to implement section 411 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act). The final rules create exceptions to the statute's general prohibition on creditors obtaining or using medical information pertaining to a consumer in connection with any determination of the consumer's eligibility, or continued eligibility, for credit for all creditors. The exceptions permit creditors to obtain or use medical information in connection with credit eligibility determinations where necessary and appropriate for legitimate purposes, consistent with the Congressional intent to restrict the use of medical information for inappropriate purposes. The final rules also create limited exceptions to permit affiliates to share medical information with each other without becoming consumer reporting agencies. The final rules are substantially similar to the rules adopted by the Agencies on an interim final basis in June 2005.     

TRICARE Program; inclusion of anesthesiologist assistants as authorized providers; coverage of cardiac rehabilitation in freestanding cardiac rehabilitation facilities. Final rule

This final rule establishes a new category of provider as an authorized TRICARE provider and it increases the settings where cardiac rehabilitation can be covered as a TRICARE benefit. It recognizes anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) as authorized providers under certain circumstances. It also authorizes cardiac rehabilitation services, which are already a covered TRICARE benefit when provided by hospitals, to be provided in freestanding cardiac rehabilitation facilities.     

粤港澳更紧密合作一体化发展的空间布局和政策选择——建立粤港澳更紧密合作框架研究报告之三

经济全球化将把人类社会集中在若干高度竞争而又互相联系的区域内,区域经济一体化将成为全球化的重要过程和主要载体。粤港澳一体化发展的空间布局应为＂一带二轴三翼四区＂,推进粤港澳更紧密合作与融合发展是一个关系全局、影响深远的系统工程,既需要三地发挥主动性和创造性,也要突破思想观念、基础理论和思维定式的束缚,形成更高层次的国家战略和完整的政策设计及新的制度安排。     

Traditional Tibetan Physical Culture as Seen from A Culturological Perspective

Traditional Tibetan physical culture is an important part of Tibetan culture. It has rich cultural connotations, its own     

与大部门共生的独立机构——以贸促机构为例

本文以西方发达国家(地区)贸易促进机构为具体案例,说明在西方行政管理体制改革的过程中,负责执行政府政策或法律、负责监管的独立机构所体现出来的公共治理结构中的多元化、社会化和市场化的趋势。这些独立机构和负责决策的大部门相互分工,相辅相成,共同构成政府公共管理和服务的主体。此外,本文提出在完善我国大部制的过程中,有必要不遗余力地推进独立机构的建设,并且通过对我国贸促机构的分析,提出可以以贸促机构作为我国建立独立机构的试点。