An Act To Strengthen Health Data Information and Health Planning
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0535
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: TURNER, DUDLEY, WESTON, MARLEY, O'BRIEN
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-G, 22 MRSA §253-A, 22 MRSA §8704, 22 MRSA §8708

Legislative Document 
No. 535 
S.P.175 
In Senate, February 6, 2003 
An Act To Strengthen Health Data Information and Health 
Planning 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator TURNER of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative DUDLEY of Portland and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: WESTON of Waldo, Representatives: MARLEY of Portland, O'BRIEN of Augusta. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§14-D is enacted to read: 
14-D. 
State Health 
Human Services Planning 
Commission 
Legislative 
Per Diem 
for 
Legislators 
and Expenses 
for Appointed 
Members 
MRSA 
§253-A, 
sub-§6 
Sec. 2. 22 MRS A §253-A is enacted to read: 
§Z53-A. 
State Health Planning Commission 
There is established the State Health Planning Commission, 
referred to in this section as "the commission," to adopt by 
November 
r 
2003 
and every other year thereafter a 
statewide 
comprehensive health care plan as provided in this section. 
1. 
Membership. 
The 
commission 
consists 
of 
members 
appointed as follows: 
A. 
The Governor shall appoint 3 members as follows: 
B. 
(1) One person representing providers of health care 
services: 
(2) One person representing 
a statewide organization 
of public health professionals: and 
(3) 
One person representing educators of health care 
personnel: 
The President of the Senate shall appoint 3 members as 
follows: 
(1) 
Two 
members 
of 
the 
Senate, 
one 
of 
whom 
the 
President shall designate as chair: and 
(2) One person representing consumers of heal th care: 
and 
C. 
The Speaker of the House shall appoint 
members as 
follows: 
(1) Two members of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) One person representing entities or organizations 
that utilize health data. 
Page l-LR0592 (1) 
2. 
Terms of office. 
The Governor, 
the President of the 
Senate and the Speaker of the House shall each designate one 
initial 
appointment 
as 
a 
2-year 
appointment. 
All 
other 
appointments are for 3 years. 
3. 
Appointments. 
All appointments must be made no later 
than 30 days following the effective date of this section. 
The 
appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the 
Legislative Council upon making their appointments. 
When the 
appointment 
of 
all 
members 
is 
complete, 
the 
chair 
of 
the 
Legislative Council shall call and convene the first meeting of 
the commission no later than September L 
2003. 
All commission 
members 
serve 
until 
their 
replacements 
have 
been 
appointed, 
including 
members 
serving 
by 
virtue 
of 
their 
service 
as 
Legislators. 
4. 
Duties. 
The 
commission shall perform the 
following 
duties: 
A. 
After consideration of the state health plan adopted by 
the department pursuant to section 253 and any plans adopted 
by state agencies, and after consultation and collaboration 
with those agencies, providers and consumers of health care 
services 
and persons interested in the future of health 
care, develop a statewide comprehensive health care plan; 
B. 
Maintain the statewide comprehensive health care plan 
developed in paragraph A, 
integrating new information and 
data from sources within the State and outside of the State; 
and 
C. 
Provide 
inforI]1ation 
regarding 
the 
health 
planning 
process 
to 
the 
public, 
including 
the 
data 
and 
policy 
considerations reviewed and debated by the commission in the 
development of the statewide comprehensive health care plan. 
5. 
Staff assistance. 
The commission may reg:uest staffing 
assistance from the Legislative Council. 
6. 
Reimbursement. 
Commission members who are Legislators 
are entitled to receive the legislative per diem, as defined in 
Title 3, section 2, for each day's attendance at meetings of the 
commission. 
All 
members 
of 
the 
commission 
are entitled to 
reimbursement 
for 
travel 
and 
other 
necessary 
expenses, 
upon 
application to the Legislative Council. 
The Executive Director 
of the Legislative Council shall administer 
the 
commission's 
budget. 
7. 
Report. 
By 
November 
15th of each odd-numbered year 
beginning in 2003, the commission shall submit its report with 
any 
accompanying 
legislation to 
the 
Legislature 
and 
to 
the 
department. 
Sec.3. 22 MRSA §8704, sub-§12 is enacted to read: 
12. 
OUtcomeS 
and 
clinical 
pathways. 
The 
board 
shall 
collaborate with other agencies, professional associations and 
entities working in the field of health care data, utilization, 
cost and quality to evaluate outcomes and clinical pathways and 
to 
provide 
information 
to 
the 
public 
as 
a 
result of 
that 
collaboration. 
Sec. 4. 22 MRS A §8707, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. 
Easy access to information. 
The board shall release 
health data to the public in a format that is easy and convenient 
for the public to access and understand and post that data on the 
Internet. 
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §8708, sub-§7, as enac ted by PL 1995, c _ 653, 
Pt. A, §2 and affected by §7, is amended to read: 
7. 
Authority 
to 
obtain 
information. 
Nothing 
in 
this 
section may be construed to limit the board's authority to obtain 
information that it considers necessary to carry out its duties_ 
Beginning January 1, 2004, the board shall require the submission 
of 
data 
from 
all 
health 
care 
payors, 
carriers, 
3rd-party 
administrators 
and 
providers 
in order 
to 
obtain 
information 
regarding 
total 
health 
care 
system 
utilization, 
costs 
and 
revenues. 
SUMMARY 
This bill expands the data collection duties of the Maine 
Health Data Organization in order to foster understanding of the 
total health care 
system. 
It requires 
the 
organization 
to 
release information to the public in a user-friendly manner _ 
It 
requires 
the 
organization 
to 
work 
to 
evaluate 
outcomes 
and 
clinical pathways. 
It requires 
a 
new State Health Planning 
Commission to develop a new statewide health plan by November 1, 
2003 
and 
every 
years 
thereafter 
and 
to 
report 
to 
the 
Legislature and the Department of Human Services once every 2 
years.