,i  #aah? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bheg  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,april #be1 #bjbc,mrs4
 ,sp>tz introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0  
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,en]gy &      
,comm]ce  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct !       
,assi/ant ,secret>y = ,plann+ &         
,evaluation ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? &    
,human ,s]vices to conduct an annual    
/udy on heal? c>e competition &         
consolidation at ! ,/ate level4  #a4    
,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z !   
,measur+ ,/ate ,heal?c>e ,fre$om ,act4  
#b4 ,annual /udy on heal? c>e           
competition & consolidation at ,/ate    
level  7a7 ,9 g5]al ,ov] ea* ( ! #aj    
ye>s foll[+ ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is     
,act1 ! ,assi/ant ,secret>y = ,plann+ & 
,evaluation ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? &    
,human ,s]vices 79 ?is section ref]r$ to
 z ! ,assi/ant ,secret>y7 %all conduct a
 /udy on heal? c>e competition &        
consolidation at ! ,/ate level4  7b7    
,consultation ,9 conduct+ ! /udy "u ?is 
section1 ! ,assi/ant ,secret>y %all     

consult ) ! ,*air ( ! ,f$]al ,trade     
,commission & ! ,assi/ant ,attorney     
,g5]al 9 *>ge ( ! ,antitru/ ,division ( 
! ,dep>tm5t ( ,ju/ice4  7c7 ,obta9+ data
 ,! ,assi/ant ,secret>y may secure f !  
,f$]al ,trade ,commission in=mation     
necess>y to enable ! ,assi/ant ,secret>y
 to c>ry out subsection 7d77#b74 ,^u    
reque/ ( ! ,assi/ant ,secret>y1 ! ,*air 
( ! ,f$]al ,trade ,commission %all      
furni% t in=mation to ! ,assi/ant       
,secret>y4  7d7 ,metrics ,! /udy "u ?is 
section %all include data collection on 
ea* ( ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,lic5s+ requirem5ts
 = doctors1 nurses1 & o!r heal? c>e     
practition]s1 includ+ requirem5ts )     
respect to-- 7,a7 initial lic5sure2     
7,b7 ongo+ ma9t5ance ( lic5sure2  7,c7  
specific tra9+ & po/graduate & cont9u+  
m$ical education2  7,d7 resid5cy        
sup]visory requirem5ts2 &  7,e7 bo>d    
c]tification4  7#b7 ,m]g]s &            
acquisitions 7bo? v]tical & horizontal71
 involv+-- 7,a7 hospitals2  7,b7        
ambulatory or outpati5t practices2  7,c7

 ambulatory surgical c5t]s2  7,d7 heal? 
insurance provid]s2  7,e7 habilitative  
s]vice provid]s 7su* z provid]s (       
physical !rapy or occupational !rapy72 &
  7,f7 teleheal?4  7#c7 ,! numb] (--    
7,a7 ,/ate laws e/abli%+ a legal        
me*anism by :i* a ,/ate approves m]g]s  
betwe5 or among two or m hospitals      
7commonly ref]r$ to z c]tificates (     
public advantage72 &  7,b7 ,/ate laws   
e/abli%+ a legal me*anism = regulat+ !  
gr[? ( con/ruction ( new heal? c>e      
facilities 7commonly ref]r$ to z        
c]tificates ( ne$74  7#d7 ,!            
availability ( alt]native =ms ( heal?   
insurance cov]age1 includ+-- 7,a7       
%ort-t]m limit$ duration insurance 7z   
def9$ = purposes ( section #bgia7;b77#e7
 ( ! ,public ,heal? ,s]vice ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg-#ia7;b77#e7772 &  7,b7
 association heal? plans 7includ+ plans 
(f]$ ?r\gh ! ,am]ican ,f>m ,bureau      
,f$]ation74  7#e7 ,! numb] ( ea* ( !    
foll[+ 9 op]ation at ! />t & ! end ( ea*
 ye> cov]$ by ! #aj-ye> /udy p]iod3 7,a7

 ,hospitals4  7,b7 ,m$ical practices4   
7,c7 ,ambulatory or outpati5t practices4
  7,d7 ,ambulatory surgical c5t]s4  7,e7
 ,heal? insurance provid]s4  7,f7       
,habilitative s]vice provid]s4  7#f7 ,! 
,h]f9dahl-,hirs*man ,index1 )9          
geographic areas def9$ by ! ,assi/ant   
,secret>y 9 consultation ) ! ,bureau (  
,competition ( ! ,f$]al ,trade          
,commission1 = ! foll[+ heal? c>e       
s]vices3 7,a7 ,g5]al acute c>e hospital 
s]vices4  7,b7 ,ambulatory or outpati5t 
m$ical s]vices1 disaggregat$ by m$ical  
specialty4  7,c7 ,habilitative s]vices4 
7e7 ,annual reports  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n   
lat] ?an ! end ( ea* ( ! #aj ye>s ref]r$
 to 9 subsection 7a71 ! ,assi/ant       
,secret>y %all submit to ! ,committee on
 ,en]gy & ,comm]ce & ! ,committee on    
,ways & ,means ( ! ,h\se (              
,repres5tatives & ! ,committee on       
,f9ance & ! ,committee on ,heal?1       
,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions ( !      
,s5ate a report on ! /atus & results ( !
 /udy "u ?is section4  7#b7             

,publication2 publicly accessible       
datasets ,n lat] ?an ! end ( ea* ( ! #aj
 ye>s ref]r$ to 9 subsection 7a71 !     
,assi/ant ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 publi%  
on ! website ( ! ,(fice ( ! ,assi/ant   
,secret>y ! report submitt$ "u p>agraph 
7#a7 = ! respective ye>2 &  7,b7 make ! 
data collect$ ?r\gh ! /udy "u ?is       
section available to ! public on su*    
website 9 a mann] t is publicly         
accessible & int]active4