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House advances health data bill after debate over confidentiality and funding
Summary
Lawmakers moved Senate Bill 235 (Health Data Committee) forward while members pressed sponsors on patient confidentiality and funding. Sponsors said voluntary hospital reporting had proven inadequate and that a $200,000 start-up level was agreed for initial work.
Legislators debated Senate Bill 235, a measure to establish a health-data committee intended to collect standardized information to inform policy on rising health-care costs, quality and access.
The sponsor said the committee is critical to getting the uniform data needed to shape policy. "We can't even begin to address these kinds of issues in a meaningful way without getting good data," the sponsor told the chamber.
Several members voiced concerns about patient confidentiality and asked whether the health department already had the data. One member said she had heard a constituent claim the health department could compile the data; the sponsor responded, "The health department does not have this data available to him now," and that voluntary reporting by hospitals had not produced a uniform, meaningful data set.
Members also questioned fiscal notes. The floor record shows discussion of a $200,000 funding level the health department indicated would be sufficient to "start this process" and produce meaningful data, versus a larger $396,000 figure that had appeared in other fiscal documents. Sponsors said the $200,000 level was the agreed funding in the bill's fiscal approach.
After discussion and motions to circle and amend, the bill proceeded with provisions and amendments under consideration; members reserved further amendments and returned to the bill when ready.
Next steps: sponsors and interested members planned amendments and additional details to address confidentiality and funding allocations in committee or on the floor.
