States did not hesitate to address health IT within the very first days of session. Below are highlights of the first weeks, including a focus on general health IT bills, telemedicine, and student data protection.
General Health IT:
- Indiana Senate Bill 44 establishes an electronic health data work group to study specified issues concerning access to electronic health information.
- Oregon House Bill 4031 establishes the position of statewide interoperability coordinator to coordinate implementation of Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan.
- Vermont Senate Bill 293 relates to reporting on population-level outcomes and indicators and on program-level performance measures covering the following topic: Vermonters are able to receive affordable and appropriate health care at the appropriate time, and health care costs are contained over time.
Telemedicine:
- Illinois Senate Bill 2366 provides the General Assembly's findings and declarations concerning telehealth. The measure also sets forth provisions concerning definitions and applicability and “provides that an entity subject to the provision concerning telehealth: shall provide coverage under a health insurance policy or contract for health care services appropriately delivered through telehealth; may not exclude from coverage a health care service solely because it is provided through telehealth and is not provided through an in-person consultation or contact between a health care provider and a patient; and shall not require that in-person contact occur between a health care provider and a patient before payment is made for the covered services appropriately provided through telehealth.”
- Nebraska Legislative Bill 1078 changes the Nebraska Telehealth Act to provide for the establishment of a patient relationship through video conferencing, and requires insurance coverage for telehealth services.
Student Data Protection:
- Missouri House Bill 1157 requires the state board of education to adopt a rule regarding student data accessibility, transparency, and accountability relating to the statewide longitudinal data system.
- New York Assembly Bill 8353 / Senate Bill 6007A enhances protections and creates stricter penalties in the case of a breach of data as it relates to the protections of personally identifiable information of students and certain records of teachers and building principals.
- Oklahoma House Bill 2911 clarifies statutory language relating to the Student Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act of 2013. This measure currently makes insignificant changes to the statutory language; however, in Oklahoma measures like this act as place-holders for later amendments to provide more extensive policy changes.
