---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 1312"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "1312"
heading: "Medical care guides and reports for public assistance and medical assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/1312"
units:
  - "Chapter 7 — Social Security"
  - "Subchapter XI — General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification"
  - "Part A — General Provisions"
---

# §1312. Medical care guides and reports for public assistance and medical assistance


In order to assist the [States](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) to extend the scope and content, and improve the quality, of [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) and medical services for which payments are made to or on behalf of needy and low-income individuals under this chapter and in order to promote better public understanding about [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) and medical assistance for needy and low-income individuals, the [Secretary](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-6) shall develop and revise from time to time guides or recommended [standards](/usc/42/1320d.md?p=7) as to the level, content, and quality of [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) and medical services for the use of the [States](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) in evaluating and improving their public assistance [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) programs and their programs of medical assistance; shall secure periodic reports from the [States](/usc/42/619.md?p=5) on items included in, and the quantity of, [medical care](/usc/42/1301.md?p=a-7) and medical services for which expenditures under such programs are made; and shall from time to time publish data secured from these reports and other information necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.


## Source credit

(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XI, § 1112, as added Pub. L. 86–778, title VII, § 705, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 995; amended Pub. L. 89–97, title IV, § 408(c), July 30, 1965, 79 Stat. 422.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1965—Pub. L. 89–97 struck out “for the aged” after “medical assistance”.