Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/917

 124 STAT. 891 PUBLIC LAW 111–148—MAR. 23, 2010 with respect to coverage of obstetrical or gynecological care; or ‘‘(B) preclude the group health plan or health insurance issuer involved from requiring that the obstetrical or gynecological provider notify the primary care health care professional or the plan or issuer of treatment decisions.’’. (i) Section 2794 of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 1003 of this Act, is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(1)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(C) in establishing centers (consistent with subsection (d)) at academic or other nonprofit institutions to collect medical reimbursement information from health insurance issuers, to analyze and organize such information, and to make such information available to such issuers, health care providers, health researchers, health care policy mak- ers, and the general public.’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(d) MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT DATA CENTERS.— ‘‘(1) FUNCTIONS.—A center established under subsection (c)(1)(C) shall— ‘‘(A) develop fee schedules and other database tools that fairly and accurately reflect market rates for medical services and the geographic differences in those rates; ‘‘(B) use the best available statistical methods and data processing technology to develop such fee schedules and other database tools; ‘‘(C) regularly update such fee schedules and other database tools to reflect changes in charges for medical services; ‘‘(D) make health care cost information readily avail- able to the public through an Internet website that allows consumers to understand the amounts that health care providers in their area charge for particular medical serv- ices; and ‘‘(E) regularly publish information concerning the statistical methodologies used by the center to analyze health charge data and make such data available to researchers and policy makers. ‘‘(2) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—A center established under subsection (c)(1)(C) shall adopt by-laws that ensures that the center (and all members of the governing board of the center) is independent and free from all conflicts of interest. Such by-laws shall ensure that the center is not controlled or influ- enced by, and does not have any corporate relation to, any individual or entity that may make or receive payments for health care services based on the center’s analysis of health care costs. ‘‘(3) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit a center established under sub- section (c)(1)(C) to compel health insurance issuers to provide data to the center.’’. By-laws. Publication. Public information. Web posting. 42 USC 300gg–94.