eligible beneficiary
(4) (A) The Secretary shall designate certain major medical centers as regional centers of excellence for the provision of specialty care services in the areas of specialty care described in subparagraph (D). A major medical center may be designated as a center of excellence under this subparagraph for more than one such area of specialty care. (B) The Secretary may designate certain medical centers as satellite centers of excellence for the provision of specialty care services for specific conditions, such as the following: (i) Post-traumatic stress. (ii) Traumatic brain injury. (iii) Such other conditions as the Secretary determines appropriate. (C) Centers of excellence designated under this paragraph shall serve the purposes of— (i) ensuring the military medical force readiness of the Department of Defense and the medical readiness of the armed forces; (ii) improving the quality of health care furnished by the Secretary to eligible beneficiaries; and (iii) improving health outcomes for eligible beneficiaries. (D) The areas of specialty care described in this subparagraph are as follows: (i) Oncology. (ii) Burn injuries and wound care. (iii) Rehabilitation medicine. (iv) Psychological health and traumatic brain injury. (v) Amputations and prosthetics. (vi) Neurosurgery. (vii) Orthopedic care. (viii) Substance abuse. (ix) Infectious diseases and preventive medicine. (x) Cardiothoracic surgery. (xi) Such other areas of specialty care as the Secretary determines appropriate. (E) (i) Centers of excellence designated under this paragraph shall be the primary source within the military health system for the receipt by eligible beneficiaries of specialty care. (ii) Eligible beneficiaries seeking a specialty care service through the military health system shall be referred to a center of excellence designated under subparagraph (A) for that area of specialty care or, if the specialty care service sought is unavailable at such center, to an appropriate specialty care provider in the private sector. (F) Not later than 90 days prior to the designation of a center of excellence under this paragraph, the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate of such designation. (G) In this paragraph, the term “eligible beneficiary” means any beneficiary under this chapter.