§1395b–10 Addressing Health Care Disparities

Summary

The Secretary must study ways to collect and use ongoing, accurate, and timely data about differences in health care by race, ethnicity, and gender. That study must be done together with existing Medicare quality reporting programs and must focus on three goals: protecting patient privacy, keeping data collection from putting heavy extra work on providers and health plans, and improving Medicare data about race, ethnicity, and gender. Not later than 18 months after July 15, 2008, the Secretary must send Congress a report that identifies methods for finding, collecting, and evaluating disparity data for original Medicare (parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (part C), and the Medicare prescription drug program (part D), and that recommends how to report HEDIS measures (under section 1395w–22(e)(3)) and other national quality measures by race, ethnicity, and gender. Not later than 24 months after July 15, 2008, the Secretary must put those methods into practice. Every 4 years after July 15, 2008, and every 4 years after that, the Secretary must send Congress another report with recommendations based on the collected data.