SF 2414

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/06/2014 04:36pm

A bill for an act
relating to health care; requiring performance data collected by the Department
of Health to be collected based on race, ethnicity, language, and other patient
characteristics; requiring the Department of Health to develop a risk adjustment
methodology; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section
62U.02, subdivisions 1, 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 62U.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Development.

(a) The commissioner of health shall develop
a standardized set of measures by which to assess the quality of health care services
offered by health care providers, including health care providers certified as health care
homes under section 256B.0751. new text begin In developing the measures, the commissioner shall,
as appropriate, consider national measures that are agreed to or endorsed by national
quality groups. new text end Quality measures must be based on medical evidence and be developed
through a process in which providers participate. The measures shall be used for the
quality incentive payment system developed in subdivision 2 and must:

(1) include uniform definitions, measures, and forms for submission of data, to the
greatest extent possible;

(2) seek to avoid increasing the administrative burden on health care providers;

(3) be initially based on existing quality indicators for physician and hospital
services, which are measured and reported publicly by quality measurement organizations,
including, but not limited to, Minnesota Community Measurement and specialty societies;

(4) place a priority on measures of health care outcomes, rather than process
measures, wherever possible; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) incorporate measures for primary care, including preventive services, coronary
artery and heart disease, diabetes, asthma, depression, and other measures as determined
by the commissioner deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (6) ensure that data used for measurement are collected or can be sorted by
categories of race, ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, and other relevant patient
characteristics that research and data show are correlated with health, access, and quality of
care. The categories and data collection methods must be developed in consultation with
organizations led by and representing these categories of individuals. Additional sources
of data, other than the outcomes and process data submitted by a clinic or hospital under
subdivision 3, may be used to attribute patient characteristics to a patient population served
by a clinic or hospital, including, but not limited to, census data, geocoded data, and clinic
or hospital reports on the demographics and characteristics of their patient population; and
new text end

new text begin (7) ensure that the measures are risk-adjusted for patient characteristics identified
under clause (6) that have an impact on provider quality and cost.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall ensure that the data collected is sufficient to allow for
the calculation and reporting of measures by categories of race, ethnicity, language,
socioeconomic status, and other relevant variables and patient characteristics for use in
identifying and eliminating health disparities.
new text end

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The measures shall be reviewed at least annually by the commissioner.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 62U.02, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Quality transparency.

The commissioner shall establish standards
for measuring health outcomes, establish a system for risk adjusting quality measures,
and issue annual public reports on provider quality beginning July 1, 2010. new text begin The risk
adjustment system shall take into consideration patient characteristics identified under
subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (6), that have an impact on performance, quality,
and cost measures. new text end By January 1, 2010, physician clinics and hospitals shall submit
standardized electronic information on the outcomes and processes associated with patient
care to the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. In addition to measures of
care processes and outcomes, the report may include other measures designated by the
commissioner, including, but not limited to, care infrastructure and patient satisfaction.
The commissioner shall ensure that any quality data reporting requirements established
under this subdivision are not duplicative of publicly reported, communitywide quality
reporting activities currently under way in Minnesota. Nothing in this subdivision is
intended to replace or duplicate current privately supported activities related to quality
measurement and reporting in Minnesota.

Sec. 3. new text begin HEALTH DISPARITIES REPORTING AND RISK ADJUSTMENT
METHODOLOGY.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall conduct analysis, design, testing, and
implementation activities needed to develop and implement the new data collection,
reporting, and risk-adjustment methods required under Minnesota Statutes, section 62U.02,
subdivisions 1, paragraph (a), clauses (6) and (7), and 3. The commissioner may contract
with a vendor or vendors as needed to meet the requirements described in paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide possible options for risk-adjustment methods, including both existing
risk-adjustment methods currently in use and proposed methods yet to be developed, with
the advantages and disadvantages of each method;
new text end

new text begin (2) work with other state agencies and stakeholders to evaluate the risk-adjustment
options identified under clause (1) and select an option for testing in Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (3) develop a work plan for the development, testing, and implementation of the
risk-adjustment method to be used in Minnesota for performance; and
new text end

new text begin (4) undertake data analysis to evaluate options, select an option, and develop and
test the methodology selected for implementation.
new text end

new text begin (c) If the commissioner contracts with a vendor to implement any or all of the
requirements under this section, the vendor must have the following qualifications:
new text end

new text begin (1) knowledge of and experience working with research and data on health
disparities and the impact of socioeconomic status and risk factors on health, quality of
care, and health care costs;
new text end

new text begin (2) knowledge of existing and proposed new risk-adjustment methods of provider
and health plan quality and performance data based on the socioeconomic risk factors of
the patients served; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the ability to perform data analysis to develop and test risk-adjustment methods
that could be used to adjust provider and health plan quality, cost, and performance data to
reflect the socioeconomic status and risk factors of the patients or enrollees.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner shall ensure that any advisory committee or work group
convened by the commissioner or by the vendor to provide information, expertise, and
advice in the development, testing, and implementation of the risk-adjustment method
must include representatives of health care providers and consumer organizations who
serve a high proportion of patients or enrollees who are low-income, racially or culturally
diverse, or have other socioeconomic risk factors.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of health for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, for purposes of implementing sections 1 to 3.
new text end