Veterans’ Pensions Increased

The legislation calls for research and evaluation programs, to be conducted, by the Secret,ary of Health, Education, and Welfare through the Assistant Secretary for Health, on the effectiveness, administration, and enforcement of quality assurance programs for health care. Annual re‘ports are to be made to Congress and the Presi: dent on the quality of health care in the United States, the operation of quality assurance programs, and adva.nces made through research and evaluation of such programs. The Secretary is also directed to conbract with an appropriate nonprofit, private organization for an independent study of health care quality assurance programs. The study is to include the development of a set of basic principles to be followed by an effective health care quality assurance system that will relate to such matters as the scope of the syste.m, methods for assessing care, data requirements, and specifications for developing criteria and sbndards concerning desired outcomes of care. The orga.nization designated must have a national reputation for objectivity in the conduct of studies for the Federal Government, expertise, and a history of int,erest and activity in health policy issues related to such study. ,