(6) SUPPORT SERVICES.—The Advisory Coun-
cil, its appointed members, and its committees, shall 
be provided with such secretarial, clerical, or other 
assistance as may be provided by the Congress for 
carrying out their respective functions. 
(7) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Council shall 
meet as frequently as the Board deems necessary, 
but not less than twice each year. Upon request by 
six or more members, it shall be the duty of the 
Chairman to call a meeting of the Council. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The Advisory Council shall advise 
the Board with reference to matters of general policy and 
administration arising in connection with the making of 
regulations, the establishment of professional standards, 
and the performance of its other duties under this Act. 
(c) INDEFINITE DURATION.—Section 14 of the Fed-
eral Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the Advi-
sory Council. 
SEC. 503. STUDIES, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND REPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Board shall have the duty of 
studying and making recommendations as to the most ef-
fective methods of providing health services, and as to leg-
islation and matters of administrative policy concerning 
health and related subjects. 
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(b) ANNUAL REPORTS.—At the beginning of each 
regular session of Congress, it shall make a full report 
to Congress of the administration of this Act, including 
a report with regard to the adequacy of its financial provi-
sions contained in this Act and of appropriations made 
pursuant thereto, the methods of allotment of funds 
among the States, and related matters. Such report shall 
include a record of consultations with the Advisory Coun-
cil, recommendations of the Advisory Council, and com-
ments thereon. 
SEC. 504. NONDISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION. 
(a) CONFIDENTIALITY.—Information concerning an 
individual, obtained from the individual or from any physi-
cian, dentist, nurse, or hospital, or from any other person 
pursuant to or as a result of the administration of this 
Act, shall be held confidential (except for statistical pur-
poses) and shall not be disclosed or be open to public in-
spection in any manner revealing the identity of the indi-
vidual or other person from whom the information was ob-
tained or to whom the information pertains, except as may 
be necessary for the proper administration of this Act or 
of other laws, State or Federal. 
(b) PENALTY.—Any person who shall violate any pro-
vision of subsection (a) shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished 
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by a fine not exceeding $50,000 or by imprisonment not 
exceeding one year, or both. 
SEC. 505. PROHIBITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION. 
In carrying out the provisions of this Act there shall 
be no discrimination on account of race, creed, or color. 
Personal health services shall be made available as bene-
fits to all eligible individuals, and all persons qualified 
under title II to enter into agreements to furnish or pro-
vide such services shall be permitted to do so. 
TITLE VI—ELIGIBILITY DETER-
MINATIONS, 
COMPLAINTS, 
HEARINGS, AND JUDICIAL RE-
VIEW 
SEC. 601. DETERMINATIONS AS TO ELIGIBILITY FOR BENE-
FITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services through such units of the Department 
of Health and Human Services as the Secretary may de-
termine, shall upon the Secretary’s own initiative or upon 
application of any individual make determinations as to 
the eligibility of individuals for benefits under this Act. 
Whenever requested by any individual determined by the 
Secretary not to be eligible for benefits for any period, 
or by a dependent of any such individual, the Secretary 
shall give such individual or such dependent reasonable 
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notice and opportunity for a hearing with respect to such 
determination and on the basis of the evidence adduced 
at the hearing shall affirm, modify, or reverse the Sec-
retary’s determination. 
(b) AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the Sec-
retary’s responsibility under this section, the Sec-
retary shall have all the powers and duties conferred 
upon the Secretary under sections 205 and 206 of 
the Social Security Act. Such powers and duties 
shall be subject to the same limitations and rights 
of judicial review as are contained in section 205 of 
such Act. 
(2) CIVIL
SERVICE
ELIGIBILITY
DETERMINA-
TIONS.—Eligibility for benefits under this title based 
on entitlement to an annuity under subchapter III 
(relating to civil service retirement) of chapter 83 of 
title 5, United States Code, shall be determined on 
the basis of certification by the Office of Personnel 
Management. 
(c) ROLE OF STATES.—Nothing in title IV shall be 
deemed to require or authorize any assumption by the 
State agency, designated in accordance with an approved 
State plan of operations approved under such title, of any 
of the Secretary’s responsibilities under this section, but 
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the Secretary may utilize existing facilities and services 
of any such agency on the basis of mutual agreements with 
such agency. 
SEC. 602. COMPLAINTS OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND OF 
PERSONS FURNISHING BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) FILING.—Any eligible individual aggrieved 
by reason of the individual’s failure to receive any 
personal health-service benefits to which the believes 
entitled, or dissatisfied with any service rendered the 
individual as a personal health-service benefit, and 
any person who has entered into an agreement to 
furnish services as personal health-service benefits 
and who is aggrieved by the failure or alleged failure 
of a local or other administrative officer or a local 
administrative committee to carry out the agreement 
in accordance with its terms, may make a complaint 
to the local administrative officer or local executive 
officer in the area in which the action or inaction 
complained of occurred, or to such other officer as 
may be provided in regulations. 
(2) RESPONSE.—If the officer to whom such 
complaint is made finds, after investigation, that the 
complaint is well founded, the officer shall prompt-
ly— 
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(A) take such steps as may be necessary 
and appropriate to correct the action or inac-
tion complained of; and 
(B) notify the individual or other person 
making the complaint of the officer’s disposition 
thereof. 
(3) HEARING.—Any such individual or other 
person dissatisfied with the action taken may in 
writing request a hearing thereon and shall be af-
forded opportunity for the same pursuant to sub-
section (b). 
(b) HEARINGS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Provision shall be made for 
the establishment of necessary and sufficient impar-
tial tribunals to afford hearings to individuals and 
other persons entitled thereto under subsection (a), 
or section 207(d), and for further review of the find-
ings, conclusions, and recommendations of such tri-
bunals, in accordance with regulations made by the 
Board, after consultation with the Advisory Council. 
(2) SPECIFIC SUBJECTS.—With respect to any 
complaint involving— 
(A) matters or questions of professional 
practice or conduct, the hearing body shall con-
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tain competent and disinterested professional 
representation; and 
(B) only matters or questions of profes-
sional practice or conduct, the hearing body 
shall consist exclusively of such professional 
persons. 
(c) POWERS OF BOARD.—In administering this sec-
tion in any State which has not assumed responsibility for 
the administration of benefits under this Act as provided 
in title IV, the Board (subject to the provisions of section 
501(b)) shall, insofar as they are applicable to its func-
tions under this Act, have all the powers and duties con-
ferred upon the Secretary by sections 205 and 206 of the 
Social Security Act. Such powers and duties shall be sub-
ject to the limitations and rights of judicial review con-
tained in section 205 of such Act. 
(d) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—In any State which has as-
sumed responsibility for the administration of benefits 
under this Act as provided in title IV the powers and du-
ties of the State agency shall be subject to such rights 
of judicial review in the courts of the State as the law 
of the State may provide; subject, however, to review by 
the Supreme Court of the United States in such cases and 
in such manner as is provided in section 1257 of title 28 
of the United States Code. 
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