National Health Policy, Planning and Resources Development Act

Summary

National Health Policy, Planning, and Resources Development Act - Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to establish a National Council for Health Policy. States that the Council shall be responsible for the following: (1) developing and recommending a national health policy which shall include a quantifiable statement of national health goals; (2) recommending guidelines respecting the appropriate supply, distribution, and organization of health resources and services, including health education services; (3) conducting studies and analyses concerning the recommended national health policy, and alternative means of achieving the goals included in the recommended national health policy; (4) assessing the status of the health of the American people, existing and proposed Federal and other health programs, and the need for particular health resources and services, including health education services; (5) evaluating the implications of advances in biomedical research, health services research, and medical technology for the health care delivery system; and (6) analysis of the essential factors which cause inflation in the cost of health services and a determination of needs of containing such inflation. Establishes health service areas throughout the United States. Sets forth requirements for each health service area, including: (1) the area shall be a rational geographic region within which there are available a comprehensive range of health services, and which is of a character suitable for the effective planning and development of health services; and (2) to the extent practicable, the area shall include at least one center for the provision of highly specialized health services. Provides that a health systems agency for a health service area shall (1) be incorporated in the State in which the largest part of the population of its health service area resides, and (2) not be a subsidiary of, or otherwise controlled by, any other private corporation or legal entity. States that the health systems agency may establish subarea advisory councils representing parts of the agencies' health service area to advise the governing body of the agency on the performance of its functions. Stipulates that for the purpose of: (1) improving the health of residents of a health service area; (2) increasing the accessibility, acceptability, continuity, and quality of the health services provided them; and (3) restraining increases in the cost of providing health services, each health systems agency shall have as its primary responsibility the provision of effective health planning for its health service area and the promotion of the development within the area of health services, manpower, and facilities which meet identified needs, reduce documented inefficiencies, and implement the health plans of the agency. Directs the agency to establish, annually review, and amend as necessary an annual implementation plan which describes objectives which will achieve the goals and priorities of the Act. Requires the Secretary to make in each fiscal year a grant to each health systems agency on such conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate. Provides that a health systems agency may use funds under a grant under this Act to make payments under contracts with other entities to assist the health systems agency in the performance of its functions; but it shall not use funds under such a grant to make payments under a grant or contract with another entity for the development or delivery of health services or resources. Enumerates the functions which each State agency shall perform within the State, including the following: (1) conduct the health planning activities of the State and implement those parts of the State health plan and the plans of the health system agencies within the State which relate to the government of the State; and (2) assist the Statewide Health Coordinating Council of the State in the preparation, review, and revision of the State health plan, in the review of the State medical facilities plan, and in the performance of its functions generally. Provides that the Secretary may make grants to State health planning and development agencies to assist them in meeting the costs of their operation. Stipulates that the amount of any grant made under this subsection shall be determined by the Secretary, except that no grant to a designated State Agency may exceed 75 percent of its operation costs during the period for which the grant is available for obligation. Authorizes appropriations for the purpose of making grant payments of $25,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, $35,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1976, and $50,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1977. Sets forth procedures and criteria for reviews of proposed health system changes. Directs the Secretary to provide (directly or through grants or contracts, or both) to designated health systems agencies and State Agencies: (1) assistance in developing their health plans and approaches to planning various types of health services; (2) technical materials, including methodologics, policies, and standards appropriate for use in health planning; and (3) other technical assistance as may be necessary in order that such agencies may properly perform their functions. Directs the Secretary to assist public or private nonprofit entities in meeting the costs of planning and developing new centers, and operating existing and new centers, for multidisciplinary health planning development and assistance. Stipulates that, to the extent practicable, the Secretary shall provide assistance under this section so that at least five such centers will be in operation by June 30, 1976. Instructs the Secretary to review and approve or disapprove the annual budget of each designated health systems agency and State Agency. Provides that the Secretary shall prescribe performance standards covering the structure, operation, and performance of the functions of each designated health systems agency and State Agency, and he shall establish a reporting system based on the performance standards that allows for continuous review of the structure, operation, and performance of the functions of such agencies. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prescribe the general manner in which the State Agency of each State shall determine for the State medical facilities plan the priority among projects within the State for which assistance is available under this Act, based on the relative need of different areas within the State for such projects; (2) prescribe for medical facilities projects assisted under this Act general standards of construction, modernization, and equipment for medical facilities of different classes and in different types of location; (3) prescribe criteria for determining needs for medical facility beds and needs for medical facilities, and for developing plans for the distribution of such beds and facilities; (4) prescribe criteria for determining the extent to which existing medical facilities are in need of modernization; and (5) require each State medical facilities plan to provide for adequate medical facilities for all persons residing in the State and adequate facilities to furnish needed health services for persons unable to pay therefor. Stipulates that before an application for assistance under this Act for a medical facility project may be approved, the State Agency of the State in which such project is located must have submitted to the Secretary and had approved by him a State medical facilities plan. Sets forth procedures to be followed in order for approval of State projects. Directs the Secretary, for each fiscal year, to make allotments among the States on the basis of population, the financial need, and need for medical facilities projects. Authorizes the Secretary to make loans from the fund established by this Act to pay the Federal share of approved projects. Directs the Secretary to consult with a Federal Hospital Council in administering the provisions of this Act. Provides that in the case of any facility for which an allotment payment, loan, or loan guarantee has been made under this Act, the applicant for such payment, loan, or loan guarantee (or, if appropriate, such other person as the Secretary may prescribe) shall file at least annually with the State Agency for the State in which the facility is located a statement which shall be in such form, and contain such information, as the Secretary may require to accurately show: (1) the financial operations of the facility and (2) the costs to the facility of providing health services in the facility and the charges made by the facility for providing such services, during the period with respect to which the statement is filed.

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2 official files

• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 26 September 1974

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 31 July 1974

  Open at official source

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