Substitute Senate Bill No. 547
          Substitute Senate Bill No. 547

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-87


AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH CARE DATA.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section   1.  Section  19a-7  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed  and   the   following   is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  The  Department of Public Health shall be
the lead agency for  public  health  planning  and
shall  assist  communities  in  the development of
collaborative  health  planning  activities  which
address  public  health issues on a regional basis
or which respond to  public  health  needs  having
state-wide   significance.  The  department  shall
prepare a multiyear state health plan  which  will
provide   an   assessment   of   the   health   of
Connecticut's population and the  availability  of
health  facilities.  The  plan  shall include: (1)
Policy  recommendations  regarding  allocation  of
resources;   (2)  public  health  priorities;  (3)
quantitative goals and objectives with respect  to
the    appropriate    supply,   distribution   and
organization of public health resources;  and  (4)
evaluation  of  the implications of new technology
for  the  organization,  delivery  and   equitable
distribution  of  services.  In the development of
the  plan  the  department  shall   consider   the
recommendations  of  any advisory bodies which may
be established by the commissioner.
    (b) FOR THE  PURPOSES  OF ESTABLISHING A STATE
HEALTH PLAN AS  REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (a) OF THIS
SECTION AND CONSISTENT  WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW
ON PATIENT RECORDS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO
THE OFFICE OF  HEALTH  CARE  DATA  REGULATIONS  ON
CONFIDENTIALITY  AND  NOTICE,  THE  DEPARTMENT  IS
ENTITLED  TO  ACCESS   HOSPITAL   DISCHARGE  DATA,
EMERGENCY ROOM AND  AMBULATORY  SURGERY  ENCOUNTER
DATA,  DATA ON  HOME  HEALTH  CARE  AGENCY  CLIENT
ENCOUNTERS  AND  SERVICES,   DATA  FROM  COMMUNITY
HEALTH CENTERS ON  CLIENT  ENCOUNTERS AND SERVICES
AND ALL DATA  COLLECTED  OR COMPILED BY THE OFFICE
OF HEALTH CARE ACCESS PURSUANT TO SECTION 19a-613,
AS AMENDED BY SECTION 2 OF THIS ACT.
    (c) THE COMMISSIONER  OF  PUBLIC  HEALTH SHALL
ADOPT   REGULATIONS   IN   ACCORDANCE   WITH   THE
PROVISIONS   OF   CHAPTER   54   TO   ASSURE   THE
CONFIDENTIALITY    OF    PERSONAL     DATA     AND
PATIENT-IDENTIFIABLE  DATA COLLECTED  OR  COMPILED
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
    Sec.  2.  Section   19a-613   of  the  general
statutes, as amended  by  section 28 of public act
97-8 of the  June  18 special session, is repealed
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a) The Office  of  Health Care Access [shall]
MAY employ the  most effective and practical means
necessary to fulfill  the  purposes of [19a-610 to
19a-622, including but not limited to, performing]
THIS CHAPTER, WHICH  MAY  INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE
LIMITED TO:
    (1) COLLECTING PATIENT-LEVEL  OUTPATIENT  DATA
FROM HEALTH CARE  FACILITIES  OR  INSTITUTIONS, AS
DEFINED IN SECTION 19a-630;
    (2) ESTABLISHING A COOPERATIVE DATA COLLECTION
EFFORT,  ACROSS PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  SECTORS,  TO
ASSURE  THAT  ADEQUATE   HEALTH   CARE   PERSONNEL
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE READILY AVAILABLE; AND
    (3)  PERFORMING  the  duties  and functions as
enumerated in subsection (b) of this section.
    (b)  The  office   shall:  (1)  Authorize  and
oversee the collection  of  data required to carry
out the provisions  of  this  chapter; (2) oversee
and  coordinate health  system  planning  for  the
state; (3) monitor  health  care  costs;  and  (4)
implement  and  oversee   health  care  reform  as
enacted by the General Assembly.
    (c) The Commissioner  of Health Care Access or
any person designated by him may conduct a hearing
and render a  final  decision  in  any case when a
hearing  is  required   or  authorized  under  the
provisions of any  statute dealing with the Office
of Health Care Access.

Approved May 22, 1998