H-4490.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 3028

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representative Sherstad

Read first time 01/27/98.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Collecting and monitoring health care information.

    AN ACT Relating to the collection and monitoring of health care information; amending RCW 43.70.525; and adding a new section to chapter 70.02 RCW.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 43.70.525 and 1994 c 299 s 29 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The department, in conjunction with local health jurisdictions, shall require each local health jurisdiction to submit an immunization assessment and enhancement proposal, consistent with the standards established in the public health (([services])) services improvement plan, to provide immunization protection to the children of the state to further reduce vaccine-preventable diseases.

    (2) These plans shall include, but not be limited to:

    (a) A description of the population groups in the jurisdiction that are in the greatest need of immunizations;

    (b) A description of strategies to use outreach, volunteer, and other local educational resources to enhance immunization rates; and

    (c) A description of the capacity required to accomplish the enhancement proposal.

    (3) All plans or programs developed in accordance with this section that will document in a central location the individual immunization status of children immunized within the plan or program's service area, and that monitor longitudinally the immunization status of individual children, shall require immunization providers to notify the parent or legal guardian of each child immunized within the program or plan service area that the immunization status of the child will be reported to and monitored through the plan or program, and shall provide all such parents or legal guardians with an opportunity to exclude their child from the reporting and monitoring process each time the child is immunized.

(4) This section shall be implemented consistent with available funding.

    (((4))) (5) The secretary shall report through the public health (([services])) services improvement plan to the health care and fiscal committees of the legislature on the status of the program and progress made toward increasing immunization rates in population groups of greatest need.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 70.02 RCW to read as follows:

    Health care providers or facilities may not transmit health care information to local health care jurisdictions for the purposes of evaluating or monitoring the health status of patients within the jurisdiction or for program planning or development, without first obtaining the written permission of each patient whose health care information will be disclosed.  However, health care reporting in accordance with chapters 70.24, 70.28, and 70.58 RCW are exempt from this requirement.

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