; and (2) applicable requirements of Federal law to furnish such items and services. (b) Federal providers Any provider qualified to provide health care items and services at a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service, or the uniformed services (as defined in section 1072(1) of title 10, United States Code) (with respect to the direct care component of the TRICARE program) is a qualified provider under this section with respect to any individual who qualifies for such items and services under applicable Federal law. (c) Minimum provider standards (1) In general The Secretary shall establish, evaluate, and update national minimum standards to ensure the quality of items and services provided under the Medicare for All Program and to monitor efforts by States to ensure the quality of such items and services. A State may also establish additional minimum standards which providers shall meet with respect to items and services provided in such State. (2) National minimum standards The Secretary shall establish national minimum standards under paragraph (1) for institutional providers of items or services and individual health care practitioners. Except as the Secretary may specify in order to carry out this Act, a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or other institutional provider of items or services shall meet standards applicable to such a provider under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq. ). Such standards also may include, where appropriate, elements relating to— (A) adequacy and quality of facilities; (B) training and competence of personnel (including requirements related to the number or type of required continuing education hours); (C) comprehensiveness of items and services; (D) continuity of items and services; (E) patient waiting times, access to items and services, and references