Department of Public Health
Data Current as of:  10/29/2007

Medical Spa Reporting Date

SECTION 42.   Section 3 of chapter 81 of the acts of 2006 is hereby amended by striking out the words "within 12 months after the effective date of this act" and inserting in place thereof the following words: on or before September 1, 2007.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Urine Drug Tests

SECTION 75.   Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall investigate and study the feasibility of providing Medicaid reimbursement for all urine drug tests performed for patients enrolled in an inpatient or outpatient department of public health licensed substance abuse program. The study shall consider the projected cost or savings, efficiency and quality of care related to Medicaid reimbursement for urine testing, and the eligibility of federal matching funds for said services. The study shall also study the cost and implications of allowing Medicaid to reimburse for the cost of urine testing without an order from a primary care physician or other practitioner. Results of the study shall be filed with the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committee on ways and means on or before October 1, 2007.

Required Reports to Administration and Finance

SECTION 81.   Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any agency, board, bureau, department, division, section, or commission of the commonwealth required to submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means pursuant to this act shall submit a copy of said report to the executive office of administration and finance.

Western Massachusetts Public Health Access Commission

SECTION 85.   There shall be a special commission to investigate and study the accessibility and quality of doctors who specialize in obstetric, gynecological and neurosurgical care of women in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties. The commission shall consist of the commissioner of public health, who shall serve as chairperson, the executive director of the board of registration in medicine, the commissioner of insurance, the commissioner of MassHealth, 3 physicians to be appointed by the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, 2 members to be appointed by the president of the senate, 1 member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate, 2 members to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and 1 member to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. The commission shall meet on or before October 1, 2007, and shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives on or before December 1, 2007.

Electronic Health Records System Task Force

SECTION 86.   ** Item is being returned for amendment. Text of recommendations can be found in Attachment F.



(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall establish an electronic health records system task force to provide a structure that enables the state to act in a leadership role in the development of state and federal standards for, and in the implementation and use of, an electronic health records system for children in foster care, individuals and dependents enrolled in the MassHealth and SCHIP programs, and individuals and dependents enrolled in commonwealth care or safety net care programs.



(b) The task force shall consist of not more than 9 members, appointed by the secretary of health and human services, who shall represent entities with expertise in developing or implementing electronic health records including, but not limited to, the United States Veterans Administration facilities in the commonwealth, multi-facility hospital systems in the commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts medical school, the e-Rx Collaborative, MA-SHARE, the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, the Massachusetts e-Health Collaborative, and MassPro, the commonwealth's federally designated Quality Improvement Organization. The chief information officer for the executive office of health and human services shall serve as coordinator of the task force. The task force shall also consist of 2 members of the senate to be appointed by the president of the senate and 1 member of the senate to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate, 2 members of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house and 1 member of the house of representatives to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives, the commissioner of insurance, the commissioner of medical assistance, the commissioner of social services, the commissioner of health care finance and policy, the executive director of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, and the executive director of the commonwealth connector shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the task force.



(c) The task force shall: (1) develop an electronic health records system that provides linkages between multiple settings including, but not limited to, the MassHealth and SCHIP programs, programs administered by the commonwealth connector and programs serving children in foster care, that utilize health records and that is consistent with requirements for community health records and electronic prescribing; (2) evaluate the economic model and the anticipated benefits of electronic health records; and (3) provide quarterly updates to the governor and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means and the chairs of the joint committee on health care financing regarding progress in the development of national standards and the work of the task force.

Chronic Kidney Disease Study

SECTION 89.   (a) There is hereby established a task force to make an investigation and comprehensive study of chronic kidney disease and its complications and how it affects the citizens of the commonwealth. The chronic kidney disease task force shall be comprised of 14 members, 1 of whom shall be the secretary of the executive office of health and human services, or his designee, who shall serve as chair; 1 of whom shall be the commissioner of the department of public health, or his designee; and the following 12 members who shall be appointed as follows: (i) The speaker of the house and senate president each shall appoint 3 physicians licensed to practice medicine in the commonwealth, 2 of whom shall be family practitioners, 2 of whom shall be nephrologists and 2 of whom shall be pathologists; (ii) the speaker of the house shall appoint 2 members who represent the state affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation, 1 of whom shall be an advocate on dialysis or a transplant recipient and 1 whom shall represent the Department of Nephrology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center; (iii) the senate president shall appoint 1 member who shall represent a health care services plan provider and 1 member who shall represent the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans; (iv) the governor shall appoint 1 member who shall represent owners and operators of clinical laboratories in the commonwealth and 1 member who shall represent the Massachusetts Hospital Association.

(b) The duties of the chronic kidney disease task force shall include, but not be limited to: developing a plan to educate health care professionals about the advantages and methods of early screening, diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease and its complications based on the K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for chronic kidney disease or other medically recognized clinical practice guidelines; developing a plan to educate health care professionals about the advantages of end stage renal disease (ESRD) modality education; and making recommendations on the implementation of a cost-effective plan for early screening, diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease for the commonwealth's population.

(c) The chronic kidney disease task force shall submit a report to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on public health, the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means no later than June 30, 2008.