DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 498 Original 2015 Regular Session Talbot
Abstract: Provides for transparency in health services pricing and healthcare quality measures
through requirements for the Dept. of Health and Hospitals to publish online certain data on
health services.
Present law known as the Louisiana Health Care Consumers' Right to Know, R.S. 40:1300.111 et
seq., provides for duties of the Dept. of Health and Hospitals (DHH) relative to collecting and
maintaining healthcare cost, quality, and performance data; and provides guidelines, requirements,
and restrictions pertaining to the use of such data.
Proposed law adds a provision indicating that the intent of present law and proposed law is to
improve transparency in prices and care quality measures by providing for the creation and
maintenance of a useful and comprehensive health service information database that can be publicly
accessed in a manner that ensures protection of individuals' confidential health information and
respects providers of care.
Proposed law adds the following as specific data that DHH is required to collect and publish online
pursuant to the Louisiana Health Care Consumers' Right to Know law:
(1)Healthcare quality information that is easily understandable and published in a format that
allows the user to compare information across providers to the extent practicable.
(2)Data related to payments for health services rendered by healthcare facilities and practitioners
published in an interactive format from which the user can generate reports.
(3)(a)Data identifying the following:
(i)At least 15 of the most commonly used diagnosis codes.
(ii)At least 15 of the most commonly used procedure codes.
(iii)Any emerging health trends for diagnosis and treatment related to hospitalization.
(b)Proposed law requires DHH to publish this data in a format that facilitates comparison of the
data from hospitals and other licensed health facilities of this state to similar data for medical
care rendered in other states, to the extent that such data is available. (4)(a)A list of the hospitals and other licensed health facilities that are in compliance with the
reporting requirements promulgated by DHH.
(b)A list of the hospitals and other licensed health facilities that are not in compliance with the
reporting requirements promulgated by DHH.
Proposed law requires DHH to update the information it collects and publishes pursuant to proposed
law at least annually.
Proposed law repeals present law providing that if sufficient funds are not appropriated to implement
present law, the application of present law shall be suspended pending the appropriation of sufficient
funds; and that in such case all accumulated healthcare data shall be stored with appropriate
confidentiality safeguards, destroyed, or transferred to another agency or organization in accordance
with present law.
Proposed law requires DHH to promulgate all rules as are necessary to provide for online publication
of data related to health services as specified in proposed law on or before Dec. 1, 2015.
(Amends R.S. 40:1300.111 and 1300.113(A)(intro. para.), (1), and (9); Repeals R.S.
40:1300.113(B))