An Act To Amend the Maine Health Data Organization Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0432
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MAYO, SULLIVAN, BLAIS, MARTIN, WESTON, BRUNO, O'NEIL
Amends: 22 MRSA §8701, 22 MRSA §8704

Legislative Document 
No. 432 
S.P.150 
In Senate, February 4, 2003 
An Act To Amend the Maine Health Data Organization Laws 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator MAYO of Sagadahoc. 
Cosponsored by Representative SULLIVAN of Biddeford and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BLAIS of Kennebec, LafOUNTAIN of York, MARTIN of Aroostook, WESTON of 
Waldo, Representatives: BRUNO of Raymond, DUGA Y of Cherryfield, O'NEIL of Saco. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §8701, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 653, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by §7, is amended to read: 
§870l. 
Declaration of purpose 
It is the intent of the Legislature that uniform systems of 
reporting health care information, including information on the 
quality and price of health care services, be established; that 
all providers and payors who are 
required to file reports do so 
in a manner consistent with these systems; and that, using the 
least 
restrictive 
means 
practicable 
for 
the 
protection 
of 
privileged health 
care 
information, 
public 
access 
to 
those 
reports be ensured. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §8704, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2001, c. 457, 
§9, is further amended to read: 
7. 
Annual report. 
The board shall prepare and submit an 
annual report on the operation of the organization, including any 
activity contracted for by the organization, and on health care 
trends, 
including quality of 
services 
by providers, 
to 
the 
Governor 
and the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over health and human services matters no 
later than 
]i:eB~1:ia~y November 1st of each year. 
The report must 
include 
an 
annual 
accounting 
of 
all 
revenue 
received 
and 
expenditures incurred in the previous year and all revenue and 
expenditures planned for the next year. 
The report must include 
a list of persons or entities that requested data from 
the 
organization· in the preceding year with a brief summary of the 
stated purpose of the request. 
Starting with the report required 
by November 1, 2003 and each year thereafter, the report must 
include the board's recommendations for: 
A. 
Legislative changes to this chapter needed to enable the 
board to obtain data that will yield information that will 
permit the consumer of health care services to evaluate the 
quality 
of 
services 
provided 
by 
each 
provider 
or 
the 
provider's employer; 
B. 
Legislative changes that allow for the establishment of 
objective measures of quality of services of providers; and 
C. 
Improving the quality of services of providers. 
SUMMARY 
This bill 
amends 
the 
duties 
of 
the 
Maine 
Health Data 
Organization to require the organization's annual report to be 
Page l-LR0970(1) 
filed 
by 
November 
1st 
annually 
and 
to 
contain 
information 
regarding the quality of service by health care providers as well 
as 
recommendations 
for 
improving 
access 
to 
information 
by 
consumers and the improvement of quality of services.