SF 2775

1st Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 09/03/2014 10:10am

A bill for an act
relating to health; requiring certain factors in reports on quality health care
services offered by health care providers and reports on measuring health
outcomes and risk adjustment methodology; appropriating money for a health
impact assessment; requiring a report; 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. 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 new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (6) stratify quality reports by disability, race, ethnicity, language, and other relevant
sociodemographic factors that contribute to health disparities and affect provider
performance new text end .

(b) 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.

new text begin (a) new text end 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 (b) Within the limits of available state appropriations and other available funding,
the commissioner shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) publish reports under paragraph (a) beginning January 1, 2017, that are stratified
by disability, race, ethnicity, language, and other sociodemographic factors that impact
performance in order to advance work aimed at eliminating health disparities; and
new text end

new text begin (2) annually assess the risk adjustment methodology established under paragraph
(a) to continuously improve the methodology and assess the potential for harm and
unintended consequences for disadvantaged patient populations and the providers who
serve them by taking into consideration, as appropriate, factors identified under clause (1).
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall undertake activities under paragraph (b) in consultation
with consumer, community, and advocacy organizations representing diverse
communities; health plan companies; providers; quality measurement organizations;
and safety net providers who primarily serve these communities and patient populations
with health disparities.
new text end

new text begin (d) 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 APPROPRIATION; HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2015 from the general fund to the commissioner
of health to conduct a health impact assessment. The commissioner shall convene
stakeholders, including but not limited to state and local educational institutions, parent
and community groups, academics, teachers, public safety and law enforcement officials,
and mental health and public health professionals to review and discuss existing data,
research, and information from other states about the health impacts of different school
discipline policies, including but not limited to exclusionary school discipline, positive
behavioral interventions and supports, and restorative justice. The findings shall be used to
make evidence-based recommendations. The recommendations must address any findings
that current policies are resulting in inequitable education or health outcomes.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of health shall report on findings from the health impact
assessment by January 19, 2015, to the senate and house of representatives committees
with subject matter jurisdiction with preliminary findings and suggestions for possible
action by the legislature. This is a onetime appropriation.
new text end