A health planning and resources development agency designated under the terms of the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974, requires the designation of an USA in each of the health service areas in the United States. HSAs are to be nonprofit private corporations, public regional planning bodies, or single units of local government, and are charged with performing the health planning and resources development functions listed in section 151o of the PHS Act. The legal structure, size, composition and operation of IISAs are specified in section 1512 of the Act. USA functions include preparation of a health system plan (HSP) and an annual implementation plan (AIP), the issuance of grants and contracts, the review and approval or disapproval of proposed uses of a wide range of Federal funds in the agency’s health service area, and review of proposed new and existing institutional health services and making of recommendations respecting them to State health planning and development agencies. HSAs will replace existing areawide CHP agencies but with expanded duties and powers.
A nonprofit organization or agency set up under federal law to perform health planning functions, develop a health systems plan, conduct certificate of need (CON) reviews, and review the use of certain federal funds.