Health Care Research and Policy Act of 1989

Health Care Research and Policy Act of 1989 - Title I: Agency for Health Care Research and Policy - Amends the Public Health Service Act to create a new title to establish, within the Public Health Service, the Agency for Health Care Research and Policy (Agency) to enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services, and access to such services, through improvements in clinical practice and in the organization, financing, and delivery of health care services. Requires that the agency be headed by an Administrator for Health Care Research and Policy, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Administrator, to carry out the new title.

Sets forth the general authorities and duties of the Administrator, including conducting and supporting research, demonstration projects, evaluations, training, and the dissemination of information. Prohibits the Administrator from restricting the publication of data or results from projects conducted or supported under the new title, but prohibits disclosure of identifying data without consent.

Directs the Administrator and the Director of the National Library of Medicine (the Library) to enter into an agreement for indexing, abstracting, translating, publishing, and other services leading to a more effective and timely dissemination of information on research, demonstration projects, and evaluations.

Directs the Administrator to promote the development and application of appropriate health care technology assessments. Establishes at the Library a clearinghouse for information on health care technologies and health care technology assessment. Directs the Administrator and the Director of the Library to enter into an agreement providing for the clearinghouse. Directs the Administrator to make recommendations to the Secretary and to the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration with respect to whether specific health care technologies should be reimbursable under federally financed health programs.

Establishes within the Agency the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care, to be headed by a director to be appointed by the Administrator. Directs the Administrator, through the Director, to establish the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care to develop, review, and update: (1) clinically relevant diagnosis and treatment guidelines for physicians and health care practitioners; and (2) standards of quality, performance measures, and medical review criteria. Authorizes the Director, in establishing and carrying out the Forum, to enter into contracts with public or nonprofit private entities. Requires the Director to convene panels of qualified experts, practicing physicians, and health care consumers to carry out the development, review, and updating. Authorizes the Director to convene panels of the same composition to develop the standards and criteria and to provide advice to the Administrator.

Title II: Outcomes of Health Care Services and Procedures - Amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Administrator for Health Care Research and Policy, to conduct and support research with respect to the outcomes of health care services and procedures to identify how diseases and disorders can most effectively and appropriately be diagnosed and treated. Directs the Administrator to establish priorities with respect to the diseases and disorders for which outcome evaluations are to be conducted. Directs the Administrator to conduct and support: (1) research on improvement of the methodologies and criteria utilized in the outcomes research; and (2) evaluations of methodologies that utilize large data bases, including claims data and clinical data, in conducting outcomes research.

Directs the Administrator to: (1) develop and promote uniform standards and formats for information on outcomes; (2) provide for dissemination of research findings and education of providers; and (3) conduct and support evaluations of outcome research activities.

Authorizes the Administrator to conduct or support research on improving methods of disseminating information on the effectiveness and appropriateness of health care services and procedures.

Declares that the authorities and duties of the Administrator under specified portions of the new title of the Public Health Service Act added by this Act apply with respect to activities carried out under these provisions (relating to outcomes research) as such authorities and duties apply under the new title.

Authorizes appropriations for the outcomes research for FY 1990 through 1992. Authorizes, in addition to appropriations, transfers from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund in specified amounts for FY 1990 through 1992.

Title III: Additional Authorities and Duties with Respect to Agency for Health Care Research and Policy - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Advisory Council for Health Care Research, Evaluation, and Policy to advise the Secretary and the Administrator with respect to activities of the Agency for Health Care Research and Policy (Agency). Declares that the Council shall, notwithstanding the Federal Advisory Committee Act, continue in existence until otherwise provided by law.

Requires that technical and scientific peer review be conducted on each application for a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under the new title of the Public Health Service Act added by this Act. Prohibits application approval by the Administrator unless the application has been recommended for approval by a peer review group. Allows adjusted peer review procedures for applications involving a direct cost under a specified amount. Directs the Administrator to establish such technical and scientific peer review groups as may be necessary. Requires that they continue in existence, notwithstanding the Federal Advisory Committee Act, until otherwise provided by law. Requires that the reviews of applications be conducted by different peer review groups than those that conduct review of applications involving dissemination activities or the development of research agendas.

Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish guidelines for uniform methods of developing and collecting data under the title added by this Act; (2) assure that statistics developed under that title are of high quality, timely, comprehensive, specific, standardized, and adequately analyzed and indexed; and (3) disseminate the statistics as widely as possible.

Authorizes the Administrator to provide supplies and services in lieu of funds. Declares that contracts may be entered into without regard to specified provisions of Federal law relating to advances and to advertising for Government contracts.

Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a deputy administrator for the Agency. Sets forth other administrative authorities.

Authorizes the Administrator to make grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to carry out the title added by this Act.

Authorizes the Administrator to secure the services of experts and consultants, subject to specified Federal law. Exempts not more than 50 experts or consultants from limitations, set forth in the same Federal provisions, relating to duration of service. Allows payment of travel expenses for the exempted experts or consultants if certain requirements are met.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1992 to carry out the title added by this Act. Requires, in addition, that a portion of amounts available under specified existing provisions of the Public Health Service Act relating to evaluations of programs be made available for evaluations under the title added by this Act.

Title IV: General Provisions - Removes from the Public Health Service Act provisions establishing the National Center for Health Services Research and provisions providing for grants for a council on health care technology.

Applies existing provisions enumerating certain authorities of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provisions establishing the National Center for Health Statistics.

Requires the Director of the National Center for Health Statistics to establish peer review groups to evaluate applications for grants and contracts. (Current law directs the Secretary, through the Director, to establish such groups.)