|
| Sec. 6. Standardization of administrative cost tracking. The Legislature requests | that the Maine Hospital Association develop, by January 1, 2006, | standardized definitions of various administrative cost categories | that hospitals may use when establishing budgets and reporting on | spending on administrative costs. |
|
| | Sec. 7. Health care administrative streamlining work group. |
|
| | 1. Work group established. The Governor's Office of Health | Policy and Finance shall convene a health care administrative | streamlining work group to facilitate the creation and | implementation of a single portal through which hospitals can | access and transmit member eligibility, benefit and claims | information from multiple insurers. The work group shall | investigate: |
|
| A. Funding mechanisms, including seeking outside funding | for start-up and ongoing operational costs, with the | intention that the portal become independent and sustainable | over time; and |
|
| B. Ways to ensure that savings resulting from | implementation of such a portal are passed on to purchasers | in the form of rate reductions by hospitals and other | providers and by reductions in administrative costs by | insurers and 3rd-party administrators. |
|
| The work group may also consider the incorporation of medical and | quality data to the extent possible in the future. |
|
| | 2. Membership. The work group consists of 17 members | appointed by the Governor. The membership of the work group must | reflect the geographic diversity of the State. Members serve as | volunteers and without compensation or reimbursement for | expenses. The membership consists of the following persons: |
|
| A. Four members representing community hospitals chosen | from a list submitted by a statewide association | representing hospitals; |
|
| B. Four members representing insurers or other 3rd-party | payors; |
|
| C. Two members representing physician practices; |
|
| D. One member representing an organization that specializes | in the collection of health care data; |
|
|