MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2011 Regular Session

To: Medicaid

By: Representatives Scott, Burnett, Gibbs, Middleton, Thomas

House Bill 895

AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID TO CONTRACT WITH AN ENTITY TO DEVELOP, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE A DATABASE OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS OF MEDICAID RECIPIENTS, WHICH MAY BE ACCESSED BY MEDICAID PROVIDERS TO OBTAIN THE MEDICAL RECORDS OF MEDICAID RECIPIENTS TO WHOM THEY ARE PROVIDING SERVICES; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE DATABASE IS TO ALLOW HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE SERVICES TO MEDICAID RECIPIENTS WITH THOSE PROVIDED BY OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN A MANNER TO OPTIMIZE THE QUALITY, EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF THE HEALTH CARE RECEIVED BY MEDICAID RECIPIENTS; TO REQUIRE THAT THE DATABASE SHALL BE DESIGNED TO LIMIT ACCESS TO THE MEDICAL RECORDS OF ANY PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL ONLY TO THOSE MEDICAID PROVIDERS WHO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THAT INDIVIDUAL; TO DIRECT THE DIVISION TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE THAT MEDICAID PROVIDERS SHALL TRANSFER TO THE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS DATABASE THE MEDICAL RECORDS INFORMATION FOR THE MEDICAID RECIPIENTS TO WHOM THEY PROVIDE SERVICES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  (1)  The Division of Medicaid shall contract with a qualified company or other entity to develop, maintain and operate a database of electronic medical records of Medicaid recipients, in order to allow health care providers to be able to coordinate services to Medicaid recipients with those provided by other health care providers in a manner to optimize the quality, efficiency and safety of the health care received by Medicaid recipients.  Medicaid providers shall be authorized to access the database to obtain the medical records of Medicaid recipients to whom they are providing services.  The database shall be designed to limit access to the medical records of any particular individual only to those Medicaid providers who provide services to that individual.

     (2)  The Division of Medicaid shall adopt rules and regulations to provide that Medicaid providers shall transfer to the electronic medical records database the medical records information for the Medicaid recipients to whom they provide services, in the form and manner as specified by the division.   In addition, the division may adopt any other rules and regulations as necessary to implement this section.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2011.