Presidential Documents

51089 

Federal Register 

Vol. 71, No. 166 

Monday, August 28, 2006 

Title 3— 

The President 

Executive Order 13410 of August 22, 2006 

Promoting Quality and Efficient Health Care in Federal Government Administered or Sponsored Health Care Programs 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States, and in order to promote federally led efforts 

to implement more transparent and high-quality health care, it is hereby 

ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Purpose. It is the purpose of this order to ensure that health 

care programs administered or sponsored by the Federal Government promote 

quality and efficient delivery of health care through the use of health information technology, transparency regarding health care quality and price, and 

better incentives for program beneficiaries, enrollees, and providers. It is 

the further purpose of this order to make relevant information available 

to these beneficiaries, enrollees, and providers in a readily useable manner 

and in collaboration with similar initiatives in the private sector and nonFederal public sector. Consistent with the purpose of improving the quality 

and efficiency of health care, the actions and steps taken by Federal Government agencies should not incur additional costs for the Federal Government. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order: 

(a) ‘‘Agency’’ means an agency of the Federal Government that administers 

or sponsors a Federal health care program. 

(b) ‘‘Federal health care program’’ means the Federal Employees Health 

Benefit Program, the Medicare program, programs operated directly by the 

Indian Health Service, the TRICARE program for the Department of Defense 

and other uniformed services, and the health care program operated by 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. For purposes of this order, ‘‘Federal 

health care program’’ does not include State operated or funded federally 

subsidized programs such as Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance 

Program, or services provided to Department of Veterans’ Affairs beneficiaries 

under 38 U.S.C. 1703. 

(c) ‘‘Interoperability’’ means the ability to communicate and exchange data 

accurately, effectively, securely, and consistently with different information 

technology systems, software applications, and networks in various settings, 

and exchange data such that clinical or operational purpose and meaning 

of the data are preserved and unaltered. 

(d) ‘‘Recognized interoperability standards’’ means interoperability standards 

recognized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the ‘‘Secretary’’), 

in accordance with guidance developed by the Secretary, as existing on 

the date of the implementation, acquisition, or upgrade of health information 

technology systems under subsections (1) or (2) of section 3(a) of this order. 

Sec. 3. Directives for Agencies. Agencies shall perform the following functions: 

(a) Health Information Technology. 

(1) For Federal Agencies. As each agency implements, acquires, or upgrades 

health information technology systems used for the direct exchange of 

health information between agencies and with non-Federal entities, it 

shall utilize, where available, health information technology systems and 

products that meet recognized interoperability standards. 


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(2) For Contracting Purposes. Each agency shall require in contracts or 

agreements with health care providers, health plans, or health insurance 

issuers that as each provider, plan, or issuer implements, acquires, or 

upgrades health information technology systems, it shall utilize, where 

available, health information technology systems and products that meet 

recognized interoperability standards. 

(b) Transparency of Quality Measurements. 

(1) In General. Each agency shall implement programs measuring the 

quality of services supplied by health care providers to the beneficiaries 

or enrollees of a Federal health care program. Such programs shall be 

based upon standards established by multi-stakeholder entities identified 

by the Secretary or by another agency subject to this order. Each agency 

shall develop its quality measurements in collaboration with similar initiatives in the private and non-Federal public sectors. 

(2) Facilitation. An agency satisfies the requirements of this subsection 

if it participates in the aggregation of claims and other appropriate data 

for the purposes of quality measurement. Such aggregation shall be based 

upon standards established by multi-stakeholder entities identified by the 

Secretary or by another agency subject to this order. 

(c) Transparency of Pricing Information. Each agency shall make available 

(or provide for the availability) to the beneficiaries or enrollees of a Federal 

health care program (and, at the option of the agency, to the public) the 

prices that it, its health insurance issuers, or its health insurance plans 

pay for procedures to providers in the health care program with which 

the agency, issuer, or plan contracts. Each agency shall also, in collaboration 

with multi-stakeholder groups such as those described in subsection (b)(1), 

participate in the development of information regarding the overall costs 

of services for common episodes of care and the treatment of common 

chronic diseases. 

(d) Promoting Quality and Efficiency of Care. Each agency shall develop 

and identify, for beneficiaries, enrollees, and providers, approaches that 

encourage and facilitate the provision and receipt of high-quality and efficient 

health care. Such approaches may include pay-for-performance models of 

reimbursement consistent with current law. An agency will satisfy the requirements of this subsection if it makes available to beneficiaries or enrollees 

consumer-directed health care insurance products. 

Sec. 4. Implementation Date. Agencies shall comply with the requirements 

of this order by January 1, 2007. 

Sec. 5. Administration and Judicial Review. 

(a) This order does not assume or rely upon additional Federal resources 

or spending to promote quality and efficient health care. Further, the actions 

directed by this order shall be carried out subject to the availability of 

appropriations and to the maximum extent permitted by law. 

(b) This order shall be implemented in new contracts or new contract 

cycles as they may be renewed from time to time. Renegotiation outside 

of the normal contract cycle processes should be avoided. 

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity against the United 


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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 166 / Monday, August 28, 2006 / Presidential Documents 51091 

States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, 

or any other person. 

W 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

August 22, 2006. 

[FR Doc. 06–7220 

Filed 8–25–06; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3195–01–P 


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