Military Health Care System Reform Act of 1979

Military Health Care System Reform Act of 1979 - Directs the Secretary of Defense, in each geographic region, to appoint a civilian as the military health care administrator for such region to: (1) coordinate the budgeting, planning, programming, and evaluation of all activities of the military health care system within the region; (2) coordinate the allocation of all resources of such system in the region; and (3) designate a catchment area for each major medical facility in the region. Requires such administrators to consult with each other and with health systems agencies to coordinate common health planning and resource allocation in the area.

Stipulates that each member of the armed forces who is on active duty and each member of a uniformed service on active duty (upon the member's request) shall be enrolled in the military health care system. Authorizes the enrollment of members or former members of the uniformed services who are entitled to retired or retainer pay and their dependents into such system. Entitles such individuals to medical or dental care at uniformed services medical facilities on a space or staff available basis except that no such enrollee may be denied or limited in treatment at a major military health care facility by reason of the lack of capability of the medical or dental staff at the facility.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to issue identification cards to enrollees identifying: (1) the nature of that person's entitlement to medical or dental benefits; and (2) the catchment area of the major military health care facility in which that person resides.

Directs each such major facility to establish a program to provide all primary care services for enrollees residing in the facility's catchment area and to provide or arrange for the provision of all other necessary medical or dental care that such a person may require.

Sets forth requirements which the Secretary of Defense is to follow in developing the budgets for medical and dental care for each of the military departments.

Directs the Secretary to take steps to enable military health care facilities to maximize the efficient training and use of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and similar practitioners at such facilities.

Authorizes the officer or surgeon in charge of a military health care facility to permit private practitioners to provide care for enrollees at such facility. Sets forth the method of paying private physicians performing such services.

Entitles military medical professionals to special incentive payments. Stipulates that funds for such payments shall be taken from any budgetary excess of the major military health care facility to which the individual is assigned.

Directs the Secretary to establish standards for assessing the performance of military medical professionals in controlling the cost of medical and dental care at the facility to which they are assigned.

Directs the Secretary to provide for the recovery of payments for the provision of military medical or dental care from any third-party insurer of the individual receiving such care.