On February 6, 2009, the Department of Defense published a notice delaying the effective date of its December 10, 2008 final rule implementing a prospective payment system (PPS) for TRICARE hospital outpatient services, similar to the Medicare hospital outpatient PPS. The effective date has been extended from February 9, 2009 until May 1, 2009 as part of the Obama Administration’s broader regulatory review. A new comment period also has been announced; comments will be accepted until March 9, 2009.
