Florida Senate - 2010                CS for CS for CS for SB 958
       
       
       
       By the Committees on Health and Human Services Appropriations;
       Judiciary; and Health Regulation; and Senator Ring
       
       
       
       603-04893A-10                                          2010958c3
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to electronic health information;
    3         amending s. 408.05, F.S.; revising provisions relating
    4         to the duties and responsibilities of the State
    5         Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory
    6         Council; amending s. 408.051, F.S.; defining the terms
    7         “agency,” “health care practitioner,” and “health
    8         information exchange participation agreement”;
    9         creating s. 408.0513, F.S.; requiring the agency to
   10         develop uniform elements of a Florida Health
   11         Information Exchange Participation Agreement for use
   12         by health care providers; requiring the agency to post
   13         the agreement on the agency’s Internet website;
   14         providing for immunity from civil liability for
   15         accessing or releasing certain health records;
   16         providing that health care providers are not required
   17         to incorporate the uniform elements of the agreement;
   18         creating s. 408.0514, F.S.; requiring the agency to
   19         coordinate with regional extension centers to
   20         implement the use of electronic health records;
   21         authorizing the agency to establish guidelines for
   22         center services and state Medicaid participation and
   23         use of such services; amending s. 408.061, F.S.;
   24         deleting a reference to an administrative rule
   25         relating to certain data reported by health care
   26         facilities; amending s. 408.0611, F.S.; revising
   27         provisions relating to a clearinghouse on information
   28         on electronic prescribing; requiring the State
   29         Consumer Health Information and Policy Advisory
   30         Council or a workgroup representing electronic
   31         prescribing and other health information technology
   32         stakeholders to participate in quarterly meetings on
   33         the implementation of electronic prescribing;
   34         requiring the agency to provide a report on the
   35         agency’s Internet website; amending s. 408.062, F.S.;
   36         requiring the agency to post certain information on
   37         health care expenditures on the agency’s Internet
   38         website; directing the agency to contract for the
   39         development of a single statewide infrastructure for
   40         exchanging health information; amending s. 408.063,
   41         F.S.; deleting the requirement that the agency
   42         annually publish a report on state health
   43         expenditures; providing an effective date.
   44  
   45         WHEREAS, the use of electronic health information
   46  technology has improved the quality of health care, and
   47         WHEREAS, coordinating federally funded training and
   48  outreach activities with a state-based health information
   49  technology program will advance the adoption and meaningful use
   50  of electronic health records, and
   51         WHEREAS, the Agency for Health Care Administration is
   52  responsible for developing a strategy for the implementation of
   53  an electronic health information network in this state, NOW,
   54  THEREFORE,
   55  
   56  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   57  
   58         Section 1. Paragraph (h) of subsection (8) of section
   59  408.05, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   60         408.05 Florida Center for Health Information and Policy
   61  Analysis.—
   62         (8) STATE CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATION AND POLICY ADVISORY
   63  COUNCIL.—
   64         (h) The council’s duties and responsibilities include, but
   65  are not limited to, the following:
   66         1. Developing To develop a mission statement, goals, and a
   67  plan of action for the identification, collection,
   68  standardization, sharing, and coordination of health-related
   69  data across federal, state, and local government and private
   70  sector entities.
   71         2. Developing To develop a review process that ensures to
   72  ensure cooperative planning among agencies that collect or
   73  maintain health-related data.
   74         3. Establishing To create ad hoc, issue-oriented technical
   75  workgroups as needed on an as-needed basis to make
   76  recommendations to the council.
   77         Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 408.051, Florida
   78  Statutes, is reordered and amended to read:
   79         408.051 Florida Electronic Health Records Exchange Act.—
   80         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section and ss. 408.0512
   81  408.0514, the term:
   82         (a) “Agency” means the Agency for Health Care
   83  Administration.
   84         (c)(a) “Electronic health record” means a record of an
   85  individual’s a person’s medical treatment which is created by a
   86  licensed health care provider and stored in an interoperable and
   87  accessible digital format.
   88         (j)(b) “Qualified electronic health record” means an
   89  electronic record of health-related information concerning an
   90  individual which includes patient demographic and clinical
   91  health information, such as medical history and problem lists,
   92  and which has the capacity to provide clinical decision support,
   93  to support physician order entry, to capture and query
   94  information relevant to health care quality, and to exchange
   95  electronic health information with, and integrate such
   96  information from, other sources.
   97         (b)(c) “Certified electronic health record technology”
   98  means a qualified electronic health record that is certified
   99  pursuant to s. 3001(c)(5) of the Public Health Service Act as
  100  meeting standards adopted under s. 3004 of that such act which
  101  are applicable to the type of record involved, such as an
  102  ambulatory electronic health record for office-based physicians
  103  or an inpatient hospital electronic health record for hospitals.
  104         (d) “Health care practitioner” or “health care provider”
  105  means any person licensed under chapter 457; chapter 458;
  106  chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 462; chapter 463;
  107  chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part
  108  II, part III, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter
  109  468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part III or part IV of chapter
  110  483; chapter 484; chapter 486; chapter 490; or chapter 491.
  111         (e) “Health information exchange participation agreement”
  112  means a comprehensive, multiparty trust agreement that can be
  113  used by health care providers and other organizations, both
  114  public and private, that wish to participate in a health
  115  information exchange network. The agreement provides the legal
  116  framework that governs participation in the network by requiring
  117  the signatories to abide by a common set of terms and conditions
  118  to support the secure, interoperable exchange of health care
  119  data among authorized participants.
  120         (f)(d) “Health record” means any information, recorded in
  121  any form or medium, which relates to the past, present, or
  122  future health of an individual for the primary purpose of
  123  providing health care and health-related services.
  124         (g)(e) “Identifiable health record” means a any health
  125  record that identifies the patient or for with respect to which
  126  there is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be
  127  used to identify the patient.
  128         (h)(f) “Patient” means an individual who has sought, is
  129  seeking, is undergoing, or has undergone care or treatment in a
  130  health care facility or by a health care provider.
  131         (i)(g) “Patient representative” means a parent of a minor
  132  patient, a court-appointed guardian for the patient, a health
  133  care surrogate, or a person holding a power of attorney or
  134  notarized consent appropriately executed by the patient granting
  135  permission for to a health care facility or health care provider
  136  to disclose the patient’s health care information to that
  137  person. In the case of a deceased patient, the term also means
  138  the personal representative of the estate of the deceased
  139  patient; the deceased patient’s surviving spouse, surviving
  140  parent, or surviving adult child; the parent or guardian of a
  141  surviving minor child of the deceased patient; the attorney for
  142  the patient’s surviving spouse, parent, or adult child; or the
  143  attorney for the parent or guardian of a surviving minor child.
  144         Section 3. Section 408.0513, Florida Statutes, is created
  145  to read:
  146         408.0513 Florida Health Information Exchange Participation
  147  Agreement.—
  148         (1) By July 1, 2011, the agency shall identify and describe
  149  elements of a Florida Health Information Exchange Participation
  150  Agreement (or Florida HIE Participation Agreement) for use by
  151  health care providers and other organizations which specifies
  152  the terms and conditions for the exchange of health information.
  153         (2) The agency shall adopt by rule the elements for a
  154  Florida HIE Participation Agreement and make the uniform
  155  elements available on the agency’s Internet website, pursuant to
  156  s. 408.05. The elements of the agreement must include a
  157  requirement to use the universal patient authorization form, as
  158  provided in s. 408.051(4), when such form is adopted by rule.
  159         (3) A health care provider that participates in the
  160  exchange of health information in reliance on a Florida HIE
  161  Participation Agreement containing all of the uniform elements
  162  does not violate any right of confidentiality and is immune from
  163  civil liability for accessing or releasing an identifiable
  164  health record under the agreement.
  165         (4) A health care provider is not required under this
  166  section to incorporate one or more of the uniform elements
  167  adopted and distributed by the agency in an agreement to
  168  participate in the exchange of health information.
  169         Section 4. Section 408.0514, Florida Statutes, is created
  170  to read:
  171         408.0514 Regional extension centers.—
  172         (1) The agency shall coordinate with federally funded
  173  regional extension centers operating in this state to increase
  174  provider readiness in implementing the use of electronic health
  175  records in order to enable provider participation in health
  176  information exchange and electronic prescribing, including, but
  177  not limited to, readiness to prepare, use, and report
  178  performance measures required to qualify for federal and state
  179  electronic health record adoption incentive programs.
  180         (2) The agency may establish guidelines for services
  181  provided to Medicaid providers by regional extension centers and
  182  conditions for state Medicaid participation and use of such
  183  services.
  184         Section 5. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
  185  408.061, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  186         408.061 Data collection; uniform systems of financial
  187  reporting; information relating to physician charges;
  188  confidential information; immunity.—
  189         (1) The agency shall require the submission by health care
  190  facilities, health care providers, and health insurers of data
  191  necessary to carry out the agency’s duties. Specifications for
  192  data to be collected under this section shall be developed by
  193  the agency with the assistance of technical advisory panels
  194  including representatives of affected entities, consumers,
  195  purchasers, and such other interested parties as may be
  196  determined by the agency.
  197         (a) Data submitted by health care facilities, including the
  198  facilities as defined in chapter 395, must shall include, but is
  199  are not limited to: case-mix data;, patient admission and
  200  discharge data;, hospital emergency department data, which
  201  includes shall include the number of patients treated in the
  202  hospital’s emergency department and of a licensed hospital
  203  reported by patient acuity level;, data on hospital-acquired
  204  infections as specified by rule;, data on complications as
  205  specified by rule;, data on readmissions as specified by rule,
  206  which includes with patient and provider-specific identifiers;
  207  included, actual charge data by diagnostic groups;, financial
  208  data;, accounting data;, operating expenses;, expenses incurred
  209  for rendering services to patients who cannot or do not pay;,
  210  interest charges;, depreciation expenses based on the expected
  211  useful life of the property and equipment involved;, and
  212  demographic data. The agency shall adopt nationally recognized
  213  risk adjustment methodologies or software consistent with the
  214  standards of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and
  215  as selected by the agency for all data submitted under as
  216  required by this section. Data may be obtained from documents
  217  such as, but not limited to: leases, contracts, debt
  218  instruments, itemized patient bills, medical record abstracts,
  219  and related diagnostic information. Reported data elements shall
  220  be reported electronically, and in accordance with rule 59E
  221  7.012, Florida Administrative Code. Data submitted shall be
  222  certified by the chief executive officer or an appropriate and
  223  duly authorized representative or employee of the licensed
  224  facility must certify that the information submitted is true and
  225  accurate.
  226         Section 6. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 408.0611,
  227  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  228         408.0611 Electronic prescribing clearinghouse.—
  229         (3) The agency shall work in collaboration with private
  230  sector electronic prescribing initiatives and relevant
  231  stakeholders to create a clearinghouse of information on
  232  electronic prescribing for health care practitioners, health
  233  care facilities, regional health information organizations,
  234  health care consumers, and pharmacies, and regional extension
  235  centers that promote adoption of electronic health records.
  236  These stakeholders shall include organizations that represent
  237  health care practitioners, organizations that represent health
  238  care facilities, organizations that represent pharmacies,
  239  organizations that operate electronic prescribing networks,
  240  organizations that create electronic prescribing products, and
  241  regional health information organizations. Specifically, the
  242  agency shall, by October 1, 2007:
  243         (a) Provide on its website:
  244         1. Information regarding the process of electronic
  245  prescribing and the availability of electronic prescribing
  246  products, including no-cost or low-cost products;
  247         2. Information regarding the advantages of electronic
  248  prescribing, including using medication history data to prevent
  249  drug interactions, prevent allergic reactions, and deter doctor
  250  and pharmacy shopping for controlled substances;
  251         3. Links to federal and private sector websites that
  252  provide guidance on selecting an appropriate electronic
  253  prescribing product; and
  254         4. Links to state, federal, and private sector incentive
  255  programs for the implementation of electronic prescribing.
  256         (b) Convene quarterly meetings of the State Consumer Health
  257  Information and Policy Advisory Council or a workgroup
  258  representing electronic prescribing and other health information
  259  technology stakeholders to assess and accelerate the
  260  implementation of electronic prescribing.
  261         (4) Pursuant to s. 408.061, the agency shall monitor the
  262  implementation of electronic prescribing by health care
  263  practitioners, health care facilities, and pharmacies. By
  264  January 31 of each year, the agency shall report metrics on the
  265  progress of implementation of electronic prescribing on the
  266  agency’s Internet website to the Governor and the Legislature.
  267  The information reported must pursuant to this subsection shall
  268  include federal and private sector electronic prescribing
  269  initiatives and, to the extent that data is readily available
  270  from organizations that operate electronic prescribing networks,
  271  the number of health care practitioners using electronic
  272  prescribing and the number of prescriptions electronically
  273  transmitted.
  274         Section 7. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) and subsection
  275  (5) of section 408.062, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  276         408.062 Research, analyses, studies, and reports.—
  277         (1) The agency shall conduct research, analyses, and
  278  studies relating to health care costs and access to and quality
  279  of health care services as access and quality are affected by
  280  changes in health care costs. Such research, analyses, and
  281  studies shall include, but not be limited to:
  282         (e) Total health care expenditures in the state according
  283  to the sources of payment and the type of expenditure shall be
  284  published on the agency’s Internet website.
  285         (5) The agency shall develop and implement a strategy for
  286  the adoption and use of electronic health records, including the
  287  development, implementation, and use of a single statewide
  288  infrastructure necessary for an electronic health information
  289  network for the sharing of electronic health records among
  290  health care facilities, health care providers, and health
  291  insurers.
  292         (a) The agency shall contract with a vendor who has
  293  expertise in designing infrastructure that exchanges health
  294  information through an integrated solution using network
  295  security engineering which secures both the network and
  296  sensitive health care information while empowering patients to
  297  have control over how their information is shared. The
  298  infrastructure must be interoperable with the established
  299  National Health Information Network using national standards and
  300  leveraging ongoing federal investments to ensure meaningful use
  301  of health information. The infrastructure must be open source,
  302  giving the highest priority to privacy, security, and
  303  interoperability with existing and future electronic patient
  304  medical records.
  305         (b) The agency may develop rules to facilitate the
  306  functionality and protect the confidentiality of electronic
  307  health records. The agency shall report to the Governor, the
  308  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of
  309  the Senate on legislative recommendations to protect the
  310  confidentiality of electronic health records.
  311         Section 8. Subsections (5) and (6) of section 408.063,
  312  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  313         408.063 Dissemination of health care information.—
  314         (5) The agency shall publish annually a comprehensive
  315  report of state health expenditures. The report shall identify:
  316         (a) The contribution of health care dollars made by all
  317  payors.
  318         (b) The dollars expended by type of health care service in
  319  Florida.
  320         (5)(6)The staff of the Agency staff may conduct or sponsor
  321  consumer information and education seminars at locations
  322  throughout the state and may hold public hearings to solicit
  323  consumer concerns or complaints relating to health care costs
  324  and make recommendations to the agency for study, action, or
  325  investigation.
  326         Section 9. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.