HP0977
LD 1331
First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature
C "A", Filing Number H-458, Sponsored by
LR 1235
Item 2
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §19201, sub-§2-B  is enacted to read:

2-B Health care facility.   "Health care facility" or "facility" means a facility, institution or entity licensed pursuant to Title 22 that offers health care to persons in this State, including a home health care provider and hospice program. "Health care facility" or "facility" includes a pharmacy licensed pursuant to Title 32.

Amend the bill in section 4 in subsection 11 by striking out the first 2 paragraphs (page 1, lines 16 to 28 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

11 Access by health information exchange or other entity.   To a statewide health information exchange designated by the State that provides and maintains an individual protection mechanism by which an individual may choose to opt in to allow that statewide health information exchange to disclose that individual's health care information covered under this section to a health care provider or health care facility for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations, as those terms are defined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 164.501. A state-designated statewide health information exchange also must satisfy the requirement in Title 22, section 1711-C, subsection 18, paragraph C of providing a general opt-out provision to an individual at all times.

A state-designated statewide health information exchange may disclose an individual's health care information covered under this section even if the individual has not chosen to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose the individual's health care information when in a health care provider's judgment disclosure is necessary to:

Amend the bill in section 5 in subsection 6 by striking out the first 2 paragraphs (page 1, lines 35 to 38 and page 2, lines 1 to 10 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

6 Access by health information exchange or other entity.   Nothing in this section precludes the disclosure of a medical record containing HIV information to a state-designated statewide health information exchange that provides and maintains an individual protection mechanism by which an individual may choose to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose that individual's health care information covered under this section to a health care provider or health care facility consistent with the rules and regulations contained in the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191, for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations, as those terms are defined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 164.501. A state-designated statewide health information exchange also must satisfy the requirement in Title 22, section 1711-C, subsection 18, paragraph C of providing a general opt-out provision to an individual at all times.

A state-designated statewide health information exchange may disclose an individual's health care information covered under this section even if the individual has not chosen to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose the individual's health care information when in a health care provider's judgment disclosure is necessary to:

Amend the bill in section 6 in paragraph A by striking out all of subparagraph (2) and inserting the following:

(2) For a disclosure outside of the office, practice or organizational affiliate of the health care practitioner or facility, authorization is not required, except that in nonemergency circumstances authorization is required for health care information derived from mental health services provided by:

(a) A clinical nurse specialist licensed under the provisions of Title 32, chapter 31;

(b) A psychologist licensed under the provisions of Title 32, chapter 56;

(c) A social worker licensed under the provisions of Title 32, chapter 83;

(d) A counseling professional licensed under the provisions of Title 32, chapter 119; or

(e) A physician specializing in psychiatry licensed under the provisions of Title 32, chapter 36 or 48.

This subparagraph does not prohibit the disclosure of health care information between a licensed pharmacist and a health care practitioner or facility providing mental health services for the purpose of dispensing medication to an individual ; .

This subparagraph does not prohibit the disclosure without authorization of health care information covered under this section to a state-designated statewide health information exchange that satisfies the requirement in subsection 18, paragraph C of providing a general opt-out provision to an individual at all times and that provides and maintains an individual protection mechanism by which an individual may choose to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose that individual's health care information covered under Title 34-B, section 1207;

Amend the bill in section 7 in paragraph B in the 2nd line (page 3, line 8 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "including a" the following: ' state-designated statewide'

Amend the bill in section 8 by striking out all of subsection 18 and inserting the following:

18 Participation in a health information exchange.   The following provisions apply to participation in a state-designated statewide health information exchange.
A A health care practitioner may not deny a patient health care treatment and a health insurer may not deny a patient a health insurance benefit based solely on the provider's or patient's decision not to participate in a state-designated statewide health information exchange. Except when otherwise required by federal law, a payor of health care benefits may not require participation in a state-designated statewide health information exchange as a condition of participating in the payor's provider network.
B Recovery for professional negligence is not allowed against any health care practitioner or health care facility on the grounds of a health care practitioner's or a health care facility's nonparticipation in a state-designated statewide health information exchange arising out of or in connection with the provision of or failure to provide health care services. In any civil action for professional negligence or in any proceeding related to such a civil action or in any arbitration, proof of a health care practitioner's, a health care facility's or a patient's participation or nonparticipation in a state-designated statewide health information exchange is inadmissible as evidence of liability or nonliability arising out of or in connection with the provision of or failure to provide health care services. This paragraph does not prohibit recovery or the admission of evidence of reliance on information in a state-designated statewide electronic health information exchange when there was participation by both the patient and the patient's health care practitioner.
C A state-designated statewide health information exchange to which health care information is disclosed under this section shall provide an individual protection mechanism by which an individual may opt out from participation to prohibit the state-designated statewide health information exchange from disclosing the individual's health care information to a health care practitioner or health care facility.

Amend the bill in section 11 in paragraph I by striking out the first 2 paragraphs (page 4, lines 20 to 33 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

I Nothing in this subsection precludes the disclosure of any information, except psychotherapy notes as defined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 164.501(2010), concerning a client to a state-designated statewide health information exchange that provides and maintains an individual protection mechanism by which a client may choose to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose that client's health care information covered under this section to a health care practitioner or health care facility for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations, as those terms are defined in 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 164.501. A state-designated statewide health information exchange also must satisfy the requirement in Title 22, section 1711-C, subsection 18, paragraph C of providing a general opt-out provision to a client at all times.

A state-designated statewide health information exchange may disclose a client's health care information covered under this section even if the client has not chosen to opt in to allow the state-designated statewide health information exchange to disclose the individual's health care information when, in a health care provider's judgment, disclosure is necessary to:

summary

This amendment specifies that a health information exchange is a state-designated statewide health information exchange. It also changes the definition of "health care facility" from the definition used in the laws regarding certificates of need to a general definition that includes all facilities licensed under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, including a home health care provider and hospice program and also pharmacies licensed pursuant to Title 32.

FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)


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