42 U.S.C. § 1395b: Addressing health care disparities

Protecting patient privacy. Minimizing the administrative burdens of data collection and reporting on providers and health plans participating under this subchapter. Improving Medicare program data on race, ethnicity, and gender. identify approaches (including defining methodologies) for identifying and collecting and evaluating data on health care disparities on the basis of race, ethnicity, and gender for the original Medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and B, the Medicare Advantage program under part C, and the Medicare prescription drug program under part D; and include recommendations on the most effective strategies and approaches to reporting HEDIS quality measures as required under section 1395w–22(e)(3) of this title and other nationally recognized quality performance measures, as appropriate, on the basis of race, ethnicity, and gender. Not later than 4 years after July 15, 2008 , and 4 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes recommendations for improving the identification of health care disparities for Medicare beneficiaries based on analyses of the data collected under subsection (c). Not later than 24 months after July 15, 2008 , the Secretary shall implement the approaches identified in the report submitted under subsection (b)(1) for the ongoing, accurate, and timely collection and evaluation of data on health care disparities on the basis of race, ethnicity, and gender.