The Health Security Act and improving the quality of care: will the Clinton reforms help or hinder?

Maintaining and improving the quality of care is central to the Health Security Act, according to this in-depth analysis of the Act's intended quality reforms. The author reviews the proposal from several perspectives, including those of administrative law, hospital administration, health services research, and risk management. In the author's opinion, quality reforms involving the federal government as purchaser of medical care and as grader of the quality of its health care providers require close scrutiny. The establishment of a National Health Board and a National Quality Management Council further heightens concerns for quality standards and oversight. The article also evaluates the proposed health quality data super-highway, making several stops for contemplation and critical analysis.