Title: An act relating to treatment records.

Brief Description: Modifying treatment records provisions.

Sponsors: Representatives Green, Cody, Kenney and Schual-Berke; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History: Passed House: 3/07/07, 94-0.

Committee Activity: Human Services & Corrections: 3/20/07 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Regala, Vice Chair; Stevens, Ranking Minority Member; Carrell, Marr and McAuliffe.

Staff: Indu Thomas (786-7459)

Background: There are federal and state confidentiality laws regarding sharing medical billing information. Federal confidentiality laws permit sharing medical billing information for the purposes of care coordination. The state law prohibits sharing mental health drug and diagnosis information contained in a medical bill.

Summary of Bill: The Department of Social and Health Services is authorized to share drug, emergency room, and hospital information that may contain a mental health diagnosis with the client's prescribing providers for the purposes of care coordination.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The bill merely shares confidential billing information to make sure that individuals are getting the care that they need. It will reduce over-utilization of medications. It does also have the tendency to reduce the problem of multiple providers giving different and occasionally contra-indicated medications to the same individuals.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Green, prime sponsor; Jeff Thompson, Health Rehabilitation Services Administration.