Section 1856(b)(3) shall not preclude the application 
to a Medicare Advantage organization or a Medicare 
Advantage plan offered by such an organization of 
any State law adopted to carry out the requirements 
of subsection (b) or (c). 
‘‘(3) The term ‘hospital’ means an institution 
that meets the requirements of paragraphs (1) and 
(7) of section 1861(e) and includes those to which 
section 1820(c) applies.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the amendments made by subsection (a) 
shall take effect on October 1, 2007. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—In the case of a State plan 
for medical assistance under title XIX of the Social 
Security Act which the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services determines requires State legisla-
tion (other than legislation appropriating funds) in 
order for the plan to meet the additional require-
ments imposed by the amendment made by sub-
section (a), the State plan shall not be regarded as 
failing to comply with the requirements of such title 
solely on the basis of its failure to meet these addi-
tional requirements before the first day of the first 
calendar quarter beginning after the close of the 
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first regular session of the State legislature that be-
gins after the date of the enactment of this Act. For 
purposes of the previous sentence, in the case of a 
State that has a 2-year legislative session, each year 
of such session shall be deemed to be a separate reg-
ular session of the State legislature. 
SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON INFORMATION VALUED BY CON-
SUMERS ON CHARGES AND OUT-OF-POCKET 
COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 
(a) RESEARCH ON INFORMATION VALUED AND USED 
BY
CONSUMERS.—The Director of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (in this section referred 
to as ‘‘AHRQ’’) shall conduct or support research, pursu-
ant to section 901(b)(1)(D) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 299(b)(1)(D)), on— 
(1) the types of information on the charges, and 
out-of-pocket costs, for health care services that in-
dividuals find useful in making decisions about 
where, when, and from whom to receive care; 
(2) how the types of information valued by indi-
viduals for making such decisions vary by whether 
they have health benefits coverage and, if they do, 
the type of such coverage they have, such as tradi-
tional insurance, health maintenance organizations, 
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preferred provider organizations, and high deductible 
plans coupled with health savings accounts; and 
(3) ways in which such information may be 
made available on a timely basis and in easy-to-un-
derstand form to individuals facing such decisions. 
(b) REPORT.—The Director of AHRQ shall report to 
the Congress on the results of such research not later than 
18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
together with recommendations for ways in which the Fed-
eral Government can assist the States in achieving the ob-
jective specified in subsection (a)(3). 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section. 
Æ 
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