Source: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title18/1890.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 16:02:49+00:00

Document:
(1) In general.—For purposes of activities conducted under this Act, the Secretary shall identify and have in effect a contract with a consensus-based entity, such as the National Quality Forum, that meets the requirements described in subsection (c). Such contract shall provide that the entity will perform the duties described in subsection (b).
(2) Timing for first contract.—As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall enter into the first contract under paragraph (1).
(3) Period of contract.—A contract under paragraph (1) shall be for a period of 4 years (except as may be renewed after a subsequent bidding process).
(4) Competitive procedures.—Competitive procedures (as defined in section 4(5) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403(5))) shall be used to enter into a contract under paragraph (1).
(3) Maintenance of measures.—The entity shall establish and implement a process to ensure that measures endorsed under paragraph (2) are updated (or retired if obsolete) as new evidence is developed.
(6) Review and endorsement of episode grouper under the physician feedback program.—The entity shall provide for the review and, as appropriate, the endorsement of the episode grouper developed by the Secretary under section 1848(n)(9)(A). Such review shall be conducted on an expedited basis.
(ii) national priorities (as identified under section 399HH of the Public Health Service Act) for improvement in population health and in the delivery of health care services for consideration under the national strategy established under section 399HH of the Public Health Service Act.
(III) for use in health care programs other than for use under this Act.
(ii) Exclusion—Data sets (such as the outcome and assessment information set for home health services and the minimum data set for skilled nursing facility services) that are used for purposes of classification systems used in establishing payment rates under this title shall not be quality and efficiency measures described in this subparagraph.
(i) In general.—In convening multi-stakeholder groups under subparagraph (A) with respect to the selection of quality and efficiency measures, the entity shall provide for an open and transparent process for the activities conducted pursuant to such convening.
(ii) Selection of organizations participating in multi-stakeholder groups.—The process described in clause (i) shall ensure that the selection of representatives comprising such groups provides for public nominations for, and the opportunity for public comment on, such selection.
(D) Multi-stakeholder group defined.—In this paragraph, the term “multi-stakeholder group” means, with respect to a quality and efficiency measure, a voluntary collaborative of organizations representing a broad group of stakeholders interested in or affected by the use of such quality and efficiency measure.
(8) Transmission of multi-stakeholder input.—Not later than February 1 of each year (beginning with 2012), the entity shall transmit to the Secretary the input of multistakeholder groups provided under paragraph (7).
(1) Private nonprofit.—The entity is a private nonprofit entity governed by a board.
(D) health care quality and efficiency and safety issues.
(4) Open and transparent.—With respect to matters related to the contract with the Secretary under subsection (a), the entity conducts its business in an open and transparent manner and provides the opportunity for public comment on its activities.
(5) Voluntary consensus standards setting organization.—The entity operates as a voluntary consensus standards setting organization as defined for purposes of section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Public Law 104–113) and Office of Management and Budget Revised Circular A–119 (published in the Federal Register on February 10, 1998).
(6) Experience.—The entity has at least 4 years of experience in establishing national consensus standards.
(7) Membership fees.—If the entity requires a membership fee for participation in the functions of the entity, such fees shall be reasonable and adjusted based on the capacity of the potential member to pay the fee. In no case shall membership fees pose a barrier to the participation of individuals or groups with low or nominal resources to participate in the functions of the entity.
(1) For purposes of carrying out this section, the Secretary shall provide for the transfer, from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 (in such proportion as the Secretary determines appropriate), of $10,000,000 to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Account for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013. Amounts transferred under the preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.
(2) For purposes of carrying out this section and section 1890A (other than subsections (e) and (f)), the Secretary shall provide for the transfer, from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841, in such proportion as the Secretary determines appropriate, to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Account of $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2017. Amounts transferred under the preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.
 P.L. 112-240, §609(a)(2), struck out paragraph (4), effective January 2, 2013. For paragraph (4) as it formerly read, see Vol. II, Appendix J, Superseded Provisions, P.L. 112-240.
 See Vol. II, P.L. 78-410, §399HH, with respect to a national strategy for quality improvement in health care.
 See Vol. II, P.L. 78-410, §399HH.
 P.L. 112-240, §609(a)(1), struck out “fiscal years 2009 through 2012” and inserted “fiscal years 2009 through 2013”, effective January 2, 2013.
 P.L. 113-67, §1109, Inserted “Amounts transferred under the preceding sentence shall remain available until expended”. Effective December 26, 2013.
 P.L. 113–93, §109 inserted paragraph (2). Effective April 1, 2014.
*P.L. 114-10, §207 struck “and $15,000,000 for the first 6 months of fiscal year 2015”, inserted “and $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2017". Effective April 16, 2015.

References: §609
 §399
 §399
 §609
 §1109
 §109
 §207