42 U.S.C. § 299b: Information on quality and cost of care

conduct a survey to collect data on a nationally representative sample of the population on the cost, use and, for fiscal year 2001 and subsequent fiscal years, quality of health care, including the types of health care services Americans use, their access to health care services, frequency of use, how much is paid for the services used, the source of those payments, the types and costs of private health insurance, access, satisfaction, and quality of care for the general population including rural residents and also for populations identified in section 299(c) of this title ; and develop databases and tools that provide information to States on the quality, access, and use of health care services provided to their residents. identify determinants of health outcomes and functional status, including the health care needs of populations identified in section 299(c) of this title , provide data to study the relationships between health care quality, outcomes, access, use, and cost, measure changes over time, and monitor the overall national impact of Federal and State policy changes on health care; provide information on the quality of care and patient outcomes for frequently occurring clinical conditions for a nationally representative sample of the population including rural residents; and provide reliable national estimates for children and persons with special health care needs through the use of supplements or periodic expansions of the survey. Beginning in fiscal year 2003, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall submit to Congress an annual report on national trends in the quality of health care provided to the American people.