Senate committee hears bill to let behavioral health counselors share patient information for care coordination

The Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on March 14 heard House Bill 1287, which would permit certain behavioral health providers to disclose patient information for care coordination consistent with state and federal privacy protections.

Committee staff told members the bill would allow a patient’s written acknowledgment and information obtained in the course of providing professional services to be disclosed under the state Uniform Healthcare Information Act. Greg Attenaccio, committee staff, briefed the panel on the bill’s text and the current statutory framework for behavioral health acknowledgments.

Representative Alicia Ruehl, the bill’s prime sponsor, said…