I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2184 

To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization 

Act of 2003 to expand comparative effectiveness research and to increase 

funding for such research to improve the value of health care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 7, 2007 

Mr. ALLEN (for himself and Mrs. EMERSON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, 

and Modernization Act of 2003 to expand comparative 

effectiveness research and to increase funding for such 

research to improve the value of health care. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhanced Health Care 

5 Value for All Act of 2007’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF 

2 HEALTH CARE ITEMS AND SERVICES. 

3 (a) EXPANSION OF SCOPE OF RESEARCH.—Sub4 section (a) of section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription 

5 Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Pub6 lic Law 108–173) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

8 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

9 (i) by striking ‘‘programs established 

10 under titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the 

11 Social Security Act’’ and inserting ‘‘Fed12 eral health care programs (as defined in 

13 subparagraph (C))’’; 

14 (ii) by striking ‘‘shall conduct and 

15 support research’’ and inserting ‘‘shall con16 duct and support research, which may in17 clude clinical research,’’; 

18 (iii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

19 the end; 

20 (iv) in clause (ii), by striking the pe21 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

22 (v) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(iii) gaps in current research which 

24 may necessitate research beyond system25 atic reviews of existing evidence.’’; 


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1 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

2 subparagraph: 

3 ‘‘(C) FEDERAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS

4 DEFINED.—For purposes of this section, the 

5 term ‘Federal health care program’ means each 

6 of the following: 

7 ‘‘(i) Any program established under 

8 title XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the Social Se9 curity Act. 

10 ‘‘(ii) The Federal employees health 

11 benefits program under chapter 89 of title 

12 5, United States Code. 

13 ‘‘(iii) A health program operated 

14 under title 38, United States Code, by the 

15 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

16 ‘‘(iv) The TRICARE program under 

17 chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code. 

18 ‘‘(v) A medical care program of the 

19 Indian Health Service or of a tribal organi20 zation.’’; 

21 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

22 (A) in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking 

23 ‘‘the programs established’’ and inserting ‘‘Fed24 eral health care programs, including the pro25 grams established’’; 


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1 (B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking 

2 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

3 (C) in subparagraph (C)(iii), by striking 

4 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

5 (D) by inserting after subparagraph (C) 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(iv) shall provide for edu8 cation to physicians, other health 

9 care providers, and the public 

10 (including patients and con11 sumers) about the information on 

12 comparative effectiveness that is 

13 available as a result of research 

14 funded under this section.’’; and 

15 (E) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(D) COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS ADVI17 SORY BOARD.— 

18 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Effective as of the 

19 date of the enactment of the Enhanced 

20 Health Care Value for All Act of 2007, the 

21 stakeholder group consulted for purposes 

22 of subparagraph (C)(1) shall be known as 

23 the Comparative Effectiveness Advisory 

24 Board. Any reference in a law, map, regu25 lation, document, paper, or other record of 


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1 the United States to such stakeholder 

2 group shall be deemed to be a reference to 

3 the Comparative Effectiveness Advisory 

4 Board. 

5 ‘‘(ii) COMPOSITION OF BOARD.—The 

6 members of the Comparative Effectiveness 

7 Advisory Board shall consist of— 

8 ‘‘(I) the Director of the Agency 

9 for Healthcare Research and Quality; 

10 and 

11 ‘‘(II) up to 14 additional mem12 bers who shall represent broad con13 stituencies of stakeholders including 

14 clinicians, patients, researchers, third15 party payers, consumers of Federal 

16 and State beneficiary programs, and 

17 health care industry professionals. 

18 ‘‘(iii) APPOINTMENT; TERMS.—The 

19 Comptroller General of the United States 

20 shall appoint the members of the Compara21 tive Effectiveness Advisory Board. Each 

22 member shall be appointed for a term of 2 

23 years. The members appointed for the first 

24 term following the date of the enactment 

25 of the Enhanced Health Care Value for All 


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1 Act of 2007 shall be appointed not later 

2 than 90 days after such date of enactment. 

3 Any member serving on the Advisory 

4 Board as of the date of the enactment of 

5 the Enhanced Health Care Value for All 

6 Act of 2007 may continuing serving 

7 through the end of the member’s term. 

8 ‘‘(iv) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—In 

9 appointing the members of the Compara10 tive Effectiveness Advisory Board (and the 

11 members of any panel that reports to the 

12 Board), the Comptroller General of the 

13 United States shall take into consideration 

14 any financial conflicts of interest. 

15 ‘‘(E) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.—In addi16 tion to any authorities vested in the Compara17 tive Effectiveness Advisory Board as of the day 

18 before the date of the enactment of the En19 hanced Health Care Value for All Act of 2007, 

20 the Comparative Effectiveness Advisory Board 

21 shall have the following authorities: 

22 ‘‘(i) To provide input on research pri23 orities. 

24 ‘‘(ii) To recommend how to organize 

25 research funded under this section taking 


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1 into consideration the full range of appro2 priate methodologies, including randomized 

3 control trials, practical clinical trials, ob4 servation studies, and synthesis of existing 

5 research. 

6 ‘‘(iii) To make recommendations on 

7 how findings resulting from research fund8 ed under this section should be described, 

9 presented, and disseminated. 

10 ‘‘(iv) To make recommendations to 

11 the Congress and the Secretary, not later 

12 than 2 years after the date of the enact13 ment of the Enhanced Health Care Value 

14 for All Act of 2007, regarding the estab15 lishment of one or more federally-funded 

16 research and development centers. 

17 ‘‘(v) To identify, consistent with sub18 paragraph (C)(i), highest priorities (such 

19 as treatments that are highly utilized or 

20 are for high-cost, chronic illnesses) for re21 search, demonstrations, and evaluations to 

22 support and improve Federal health care 

23 programs. 


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1 ‘‘(vi) To ensure that such priorities 

2 are in accordance with the principles de3 scribed in subparagraph (F). 

4 ‘‘(vii) To establish a clinical peer re5 view advisory panel (comprised of meth6 odologists, health service researchers, and 

7 medical experts) for each such priority to 

8 advise the Secretary on validating the 

9 science and methods used to conduct com10 parative effectiveness studies. 

11 ‘‘(F) PRINCIPLES.—Research conducted or 

12 supported under this section shall be in accord13 ance with the following principles: 

14 ‘‘(i) INDEPENDENCE.—The setting of 

15 the agenda and use of the research shall be 

16 insulated from inappropriate political or 

17 stakeholder influence. 

18 ‘‘(ii) SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY.—The 

19 methods for conducting the research shall 

20 be scientifically based. 

21 ‘‘(iii) TRANSPARENCY.—All aspects of 

22 the prioritization of research, the conduct 

23 of the research, and any recommendations 

24 based on the research shall be carried out 

25 in a transparent manner. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) INCLUSION OF INPUT FROM

2 STAKEHOLDERS.—Patients, providers, 

3 health care consumer representatives, 

4 health industry representatives, and law5 makers shall be consulted regarding prior6 ities and dissemination of the research.’’; 

7 (3) in paragraph (3)(C), by adding at the end 

8 the following: 

9 ‘‘(iii) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall 

10 make available and disseminate updated 

11 evaluations, syntheses, and findings under 

12 this subparagraph not less than every 6 

13 months.’’; and 

14 (4) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ‘‘the pro15 grams established under titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI 

16 of the Social Security Act’’ and inserting ‘‘the Fed17 eral health care programs’’. 

18 (b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Such section is further 

19 amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub21 section (f); and 

22 (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

25 of the enactment of the Enhanced Health Care Value for 


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1 All Act of 2007, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, 

2 in consultation with the Comparative Effectiveness Advi3 sory Board, shall submit to Congress a report on the ac4 tivities conducted under this section. The report submitted 

5 under this subsection in 2012 shall include a description 

6 of the total activities conducted under this section since 

7 the date of the enactment of the Enhanced Health Care 

8 Value for All Act of 2007, including— 

9 ‘‘(1) an evaluation of the return on the invest10 ment in the program conducted under this section, 

11 including the overall cost of the program, the sci12 entific knowledge created through the program, and 

13 the ways in which such knowledge has been used; 

14 ‘‘(2) an evaluation of any backlog of unfunded 

15 research projects; and 

16 ‘‘(3) an assessment of— 

17 ‘‘(A) how the program is working; 

18 ‘‘(B) the governance structure of the pro19 gram; 

20 ‘‘(C) the ability of the program to include 

21 public comment and patient perspectives in pri22 ority setting; and 

23 ‘‘(D) the ability of the program to dissemi24 nate findings and conclusions.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. HEALTH CARE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RE2 SEARCH TRUST FUND; FINANCING FOR 

3 TRUST FUND. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUND.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 

6 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to 

7 trust fund code) is amended by adding at the end 

8 the following new section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 9511. HEALTH CARE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS 

10 RESEARCH TRUST FUND. 

11 ‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is estab12 lished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund 

13 to be known as the ‘Health Care Comparative Effective14 ness Research Trust Fund’ (hereinafter in this section re15 ferred to as the ‘Trust Fund’), consisting of such amounts 

16 as may be appropriated or credited to such Trust Fund 

17 as provided in this section and section 9602(b). 

18 ‘‘(b) TRANSFERS TO FUND.—There are hereby ap19 propriated to the Trust Fund the following: 

20 ‘‘(1) Amounts equivalent to the net revenues re21 ceived in the Treasury from the fees imposed under 

22 subchapter B of chapter 34 (relating to fees on 

23 health insurance and self-insured plans). 

24 ‘‘(2) Subject to subsection (c)(2), for each fiscal 

25 year beginning with fiscal year 2008, amounts deter26 mined by the Secretary of Health and Human ServVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:37 May 08, 2007 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2184.IH H2184

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1 ices to be equivalent to fair share amount deter2 mined under subsection (c) multiplied by the average 

3 number of individuals entitled to benefits under part 

4 A, or enrolled under part B, of title XVIII of the So5 cial Security Act during such fiscal year. 

6 The amounts appropriated under paragraph (2) shall be 

7 transferred from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust 

8 Fund (established under section 1817 of the Social Secu9 rity Act) and from the Federal Supplementary Medical In10 surance Trust Fund (established under section 1841 of 

11 such Act), and from the Medicare Prescription Drug Ac12 count within such Trust Fund, in proportion (as estimated 

13 by the Secretary) to the total expenditures during such 

14 fiscal year that are made under title XVIIII of such Act 

15 from the respective trust fund or account. 

16 ‘‘(c) FAIR SHARE AMOUNT.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health 

18 and Human Services shall compute for each fiscal 

19 year (beginning with fiscal year 2008) a fair share 

20 amount under this subsection that is an amount 

21 that, when applied under this section and subchapter 

22 B of chapter 34 of the Internal Revenue Code of 

23 1986, will result in revenues to the Trust Fund (tak24 ing into account any outstanding balance in the 

25 Trust Fund) for the fiscal year as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2008, $100,000,000; 

2 ‘‘(B) for fiscal year 2009, $200,000,000; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(C) for each of fiscal years 2010 through 

5 2012, $900,000,000. 

6 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON MEDICARE FUNDING.—In 

7 no case shall the amount transferred under sub8 section (b)(2) for any fiscal year exceed 

9 $200,000,000. 

10 ‘‘(d) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—Amounts in the 

11 Trust Fund are available to the Secretary of Health and 

12 Human Services for carrying out section 1013 of the 

13 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Mod14 ernization Act of 2003. 

15 ‘‘(e) NET REVENUES.—For purposes of this section, 

16 the term ‘net revenues’ means the amount estimated by 

17 the Secretary based on the excess of— 

18 ‘‘(1) the fees received in the Treasury under 

19 subchapter B of chapter 34, over 

20 ‘‘(2) the decrease in the tax imposed by chapter 

21 1 resulting from the fees imposed by such sub22 chapter.’’. 

23 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec24 tions for such subchapter A is amended by adding 

25 at the end thereof the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 9511. Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.’’. 


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1 (b) FINANCING FOR FUND FROM FEES ON INSURED

2 AND SELF-INSURED HEALTH PLANS.— 

3 (1) GENERAL RULE.—Chapter 34 of the Inter4 nal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at 

5 the end the following new subchapter: 

6 ‘‘Subchapter B—Insured and Self-Insured 

7 Health Plans 

‘‘Sec. 4375. Health insurance. 

‘‘Sec. 4376. Self-insured health plans. 

‘‘Sec. 4377. Definitions and special rules. 

8 ‘‘SEC. 4375. HEALTH INSURANCE. 

9 ‘‘(a) IMPOSITION OF FEE.—There is hereby imposed 

10 on each specified health insurance policy for each policy 

11 year a fee equal to the fair share amount determined 

12 under section 9511(c)(1) multiplied by the average num13 ber of lives covered under the policy. 

14 ‘‘(b) LIABILITY FOR FEE.—The fee imposed by sub15 section (a) shall be paid by the issuer of the policy. 

16 ‘‘(c) SPECIFIED HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY.—For 

17 purposes of this section— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro19 vided in this section, the term ‘specified health in20 surance policy’ means any accident or health insur21 ance policy issued with respect to individuals resid22 ing in the United States. 

23 ‘‘(2) EXEMPTION OF CERTAIN POLICIES.—The 

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1 clude any insurance policy if substantially all of the 

2 coverage provided under such policy relates to— 

3 ‘‘(A) liabilities incurred under workers’ 

4 compensation laws, 

5 ‘‘(B) tort liabilities, 

6 ‘‘(C) liabilities relating to ownership or use 

7 of property, 

8 ‘‘(D) credit insurance, 

9 ‘‘(E) medicare supplemental coverage, or 

10 ‘‘(F) such other similar liabilities as the 

11 Secretary may specify by regulations. 

12 ‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF PREPAID HEALTH COV13 ERAGE ARRANGEMENTS.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of any ar15 rangement described in subparagraph (B)— 

16 ‘‘(i) such arrangement shall be treated 

17 as a specified health insurance policy, and 

18 ‘‘(ii) the person referred to in such 

19 subparagraph shall be treated as the 

20 issuer. 

21 ‘‘(B) DESCRIPTION OF ARRANGEMENTS.— 

22 An arrangement is described in this subpara23 graph if under such arrangement fixed pay24 ments or premiums are received as consider25 ation for any person’s agreement to provide or 


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1 arrange for the provision of accident or health 

2 coverage to residents of the United States, re3 gardless of how such coverage is provided or ar4 ranged to be provided. 

5 ‘‘SEC. 4376. SELF-INSURED HEALTH PLANS. 

6 ‘‘(a) IMPOSITION OF FEE.—In the case of any appli7 cable self-insured health plan for each plan year, there is 

8 hereby imposed a fee equal to the fair share amount deter9 mined under section 9511(c)(1) multiplied by the average 

10 number of lives covered under the plan. 

11 ‘‘(b) LIABILITY FOR FEE.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The fee imposed by sub13 section (a) shall be paid by the plan sponsor. 

14 ‘‘(2) PLAN SPONSOR.—For purposes of para15 graph (1) the term ‘plan sponsor’ means— 

16 ‘‘(A) the employer in the case of a plan es17 tablished or maintained by a single employer, 

18 ‘‘(B) the employee organization in the case 

19 of a plan established or maintained by an em20 ployee organization, 

21 ‘‘(C) in the case of— 

22 ‘‘(i) a plan established or maintained 

23 by 2 or more employers or jointly by 1 or 

24 more employers and 1 or more employee 

25 organizations, 


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1 ‘‘(ii) a multiple employer welfare ar2 rangement, or 

3 ‘‘(iii) a voluntary employees’ bene4 ficiary association described in section 

5 501(c)(9), 

6 the association, committee, joint board of trust7 ees, or other similar group of representatives of 

8 the parties who establish or maintain the plan, 

9 or 

10 ‘‘(D) the cooperative or association de11 scribed in subsection (c)(2)(F) in the case of a 

12 plan established or maintained by such a coop13 erative or association. 

14 ‘‘(c) APPLICABLE SELF-INSURED HEALTH PLAN.— 

15 For purposes of this section, the term ‘applicable self-in16 sured health plan’ means any plan for providing accident 

17 or health coverage if— 

18 ‘‘(1) any portion of such coverage is provided 

19 other than through an insurance policy, and 

20 ‘‘(2) such plan is established or maintained— 

21 ‘‘(A) by one or more employers for the 

22 benefit of their employees or former employees, 

23 ‘‘(B) by one or more employee organiza24 tions for the benefit of their members or former 

25 members, 


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1 ‘‘(C) jointly by 1 or more employers and 1 

2 or more employee organizations for the benefit 

3 of employees or former employees, 

4 ‘‘(D) by a voluntary employees’ beneficiary 

5 association described in section 501(c)(9), 

6 ‘‘(E) by any organization described in sec7 tion 501(c)(6), or 

8 ‘‘(F) in the case of a plan not described in 

9 the preceding subparagraphs, by a multiple em10 ployer welfare arrangement (as defined in sec11 tion 3(40) of Employee Retirement Income Se12 curity Act of 1974), a rural electric cooperative 

13 (as defined in section 3(40)(B)(iv) of such Act), 

14 or a rural telephone cooperative association (as 

15 defined in section 3(40)(B)(v) of such Act). 

16 ‘‘SEC. 4377. DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES. 

17 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub18 chapter— 

19 ‘‘(1) ACCIDENT AND HEALTH COVERAGE.—The 

20 term ‘accident and health coverage’ means any cov21 erage which, if provided by an insurance policy, 

22 would cause such policy to be a specified health in23 surance policy (as defined in section 4375(c)). 

24 ‘‘(2) INSURANCE POLICY.—The term ‘insurance 

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1 by a contract of insurance is issued, renewed, or ex2 tended. 

3 ‘‘(3) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘United 

4 States’ includes any possession of the United States. 

5 ‘‘(b) TREATMENT OF GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sub7 chapter— 

8 ‘‘(A) the term ‘person’ includes any gov9 ernmental entity, and 

10 ‘‘(B) notwithstanding any other law or rule 

11 of law, governmental entities shall not be ex12 empt from the fees imposed by this subchapter 

13 except as provided in paragraph (2). 

14 ‘‘(2) TREATMENT OF EXEMPT GOVERNMENTAL

15 PROGRAMS.—In the case of an exempt governmental 

16 program, no fee shall be imposed under section 4375 

17 or section 4376 on any covered life under such pro18 gram. 

19 ‘‘(3) EXEMPT GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAM DE20 FINED.—For purposes of this subchapter, the term 

21 ‘exempt governmental program’ means— 

22 ‘‘(A) any insurance program established 

23 under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, 


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1 ‘‘(B) the medical assistance program es2 tablished by title XIX or XXI of the Social Se3 curity Act, 

4 ‘‘(C) any program established by Federal 

5 law for providing medical care (other than 

6 through insurance policies) to individuals (or 

7 the spouses and dependents thereof) by reason 

8 of such individuals being— 

9 ‘‘(i) members of the Armed Forces of 

10 the United States, or 

11 ‘‘(ii) veterans, and 

12 ‘‘(D) any program established by Federal 

13 law for providing medical care (other than 

14 through insurance policies) to members of In15 dian tribes (as defined in section 4(d) of the In16 dian Health Care Improvement Act). 

17 ‘‘(c) TREATMENT AS TAX.—For purposes of subtitle 

18 F, the fees imposed by this subchapter shall be treated 

19 as if they were taxes. 

20 ‘‘(d) NO COVER OVER TO POSSESSIONS.—Notwith21 standing any other provision of law, no amount collected 

22 under this subchapter shall be covered over to any posses23 sion of the United States.’’ 


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1 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—Chapter 34 of 

2 such Code is amended by striking the chapter head3 ing and inserting the following: 

4 ‘‘CHAPTER 34—TAXES ON CERTAIN 

5 INSURANCE POLICIES 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER A. POLICIES ISSUED BY FOREIGN INSURERS

‘‘SUBCHAPTER B. INSURED AND SELF-INSURED HEALTH PLANS

6 ‘‘Subchapter A—Policies Issued By Foreign 

7 Insurers’’. 

8 (3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

9 by this section shall apply with respect to policies 

10 and plans for portions or policy or plan years begin11 ning on or after October 1, 2007. 

12 SEC. 4. COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH. 

13 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 

14 Human Services shall establish a permanent council (in 

15 this section referred to as the ‘‘Council’’) for the purpose 

16 of assisting the offices and agencies of the Department 

17 of Health and Human Services, the Department of Vet18 erans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and any other 

19 department or agency to coordinate the conduct or sup20 port of health services research. Such coordination shall 

21 include advising each such office and agency— 

22 (1) on clarifying its policies regarding public ac23 cess to data resulting from research conducted or 

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1 vision of reasons for not permitting any such data 

2 to be publicly disclosed; 

3 (2) on making such policies, as clarified, pub4 licly available; and 

5 (3) on updating the publicly available versions 

6 of such policies to reflect any subsequent modifica7 tions; 

8 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

9 (1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Council 

10 shall be composed of 20 members. One member shall 

11 be the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Re12 search and Quality. The Director shall appoint the 

13 other members not later than 30 days after the en14 actment of this Act. 

15 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—The members of the 

17 Council shall include one senior official from 

18 each of the following agencies: 

19 (i) The Veterans Health Administra20 tion. 

21 (ii) The Department of Defense Mili22 tary Health Care System. 

23 (iii) The Centers for Disease Control 

24 and Prevention. 


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1 (iv) The National Center for Health 

2 Statistics. 

3 (v) The National Institutes of Health. 

4 (vi) The Center for Medicare & Med5 icaid Services. 

6 (vii) The Federal Employees Health 

7 Benefits Program. 

8 (B) NATIONAL, PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDA9 TIONS.—The members of the Council shall in10 clude 4 senior leaders from major national, 

11 philanthropic foundations that fund and use 

12 health services research. 

13 (C) STAKEHOLDERS.—The remaining 

14 members of the Council shall be representatives 

15 of other stakeholders in health services re16 search, including private purchasers, health 

17 plans, hospitals and other health facilities, and 

18 health consumer groups. 

19 (D) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT.—Members 

20 of the Council shall be appointed for the life of 

21 the Council. Any vacancies shall not affect the 

22 power and duties of the Council and shall be 

23 filled in the same manner as the original ap24 pointment. 


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1 (c) LEADERSHIP.—The Secretary of Health and 

2 Human Services shall appoint the chair of the Council. 

3 Not later than 15 days after the date on which all mem4 bers of the Council have been appointed under section 

5 (b)(1), the Council chair shall designate a co-chair of the 

6 Council. The co-chair shall be the leader of a national 

7 foundation that funds health services research. 

8 (d) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Council may establish 

9 subcommittees to assist in carrying out its duties. 

10 (e) DUTIES.— 

11 (1) PUBLIC MEETINGS.—Not later than 120 

12 days after the designation of a co-chairperson under 

13 subsection (c), the Council shall hold public meetings 

14 with producers and users of health services research 

15 to examine— 

16 (A) the major infrastructure challenges 

17 facing the field of health services research; 

18 (B) the field’s research priorities over the 

19 next 5 years; 

20 (C) the current portfolio of health services 

21 research being funded; 

22 (D) ways to stimulate innovation in the 

23 field of health services research; and 


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1 (E) ways in which the field of health serv2 ices research might help to transform the health 

3 care system by 2020. 

4 (2) ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.—The Council may 

5 hold additional public meetings on subjects other 

6 than those listed in the paragraph (1) so long as the 

7 meetings are determined to be necessary by the 

8 Council in carrying out its duties. Additional meet9 ings are not required to be completed within the 

10 time period specified in paragraph (1). 

11 (3) DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN.—Not later 

12 than 2 years after the meetings described in para13 graph (1) and (2) are completed, the Council shall 

14 prepare and make public through the Internet and 

15 other channels a strategic plan for the field of health 

16 services research, which plan shall include the fol17 lowing: 

18 (A) A health services research agenda to 

19 address the Nation’s evolving health care prior20 ities. 

21 (B) A plan for addressing the infrastruc22 ture needs of the field of health services re23 search, including professional development for 

24 the next generation of researchers and improved 

25 methods and data. 


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•HR 2184 IH

1 (C) A plan for fostering innovation in the 

2 field of health services research. 

3 (D) A uniform definition of health services 

4 research and standard research categories to be 

5 used across the funders of health services re6 search in developing research budgets and re7 porting research expenditures. 

8 (f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 

9 the publication of the Council’s strategic plan under sub10 section (e)(3), and annually thereafter, the Council shall 

11 report to the Congress on, and make public a detailed de12 scription of, the following: 

13 (1) The Council’s progress in implementing the 

14 strategic plan. 

15 (2) Organizational expenditures in health serv16 ices research by the Federal agencies specified in 

17 subsection (b)(2)(A) according to the uniform defini18 tion and standard research categories developed by 

19 the Council. 

20 (g) DETAIL OF EMPLOYEES.—Each Federal agency 

21 represented on the Council may, on a non-reimbursable 

22 basis, detail one employee to the Council. Each such detail 

23 shall last no more than 2 years. Any detail of an employee 

24 shall be without interruption or loss of civil services status 

25 or privilege. 


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•HR 2184 IH

1 (h) CONTRACTING.—The Director of the Agency for 

2 Healthcare Research and Quality may contract with an 

3 outside entity to assist the Council in holding public meet4 ings, developing the strategic plan for the field of health 

5 services research, and fulfilling annual reporting require6 ments. 

Æ 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS