Section 61: Community Hospital Study

Directs the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on the impact of expanding the availability of primary care health care services in community hospitals, including the number and types of procedures primary care providers perform, related changes in revenue, recruitment and retention of primary care providers, and changes in types of compensation for services. DPH must issue a report to the legislature by April 1, 2011 summarizing its findings and making recommendations to strengthen community hospitals.

Section 60: Establishes Special Commission to Study Financial Needs of Community Health Facilities

Establishes a special commission to study the financial needs of community hospitals, with a focus on use of technology, maintaining adequate facilities, meeting the health care needs of the general population in the next decade and determining potential sources of capital to meet those needs. The commission is also directed to evaluate the role of public programs, payments, and regulations in supporting capital accumulation, and make recommendations to the legislature to advance the ability of community hospitals to meet the expected demand. The commission must hold hearings as part of its investigation and submit its findings in a report to the legislature by December 31, 2011.

Section 6: Therapeutic Contact Lenses

Permits a physician or an optometrist to dispense and sell therapeutic contact lenses in-office, as long as dispensing the medication contained in the lenses is within his or her scope of practice.

Section 59: Recognizes Special Needs of Children

Directs relevant policymaking agencies to consider the special needs of children and pediatric patients when developing and utilizing data standards, quality measurement systems, wellness initiatives, or making comparisons of costs and prices. Policymakers may require that comparative data and reports related to pediatric patients and providers be segregated from adult patients and providers.

Section 57: Establishes Regulations To Simpify Payer Claims Processing

Directs the Division of Insurance (DOI), in consultation with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, to establish regulations by December 1, 2011 to simplify health care facility and provider administrative duties of processing claims for health care services. At a minimum, the regulations must create a standard prior authorization form for providers and must specify uniform standards for determining member eligibility and processing provider appeals of denied claims. Establishes a new commission to study the feasibility and financial implications of mandating a single claims administration system that would require the participation of all public and private health insurance payers, other than Medicare, in the Commonwealth. DOI must consult with this commission before adopting regulations under this section.

Section 56: Encourages Administrative and Reporting Simplification Through All-Payer Database

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to organize a working group consisting of many state agencies and health care community stakeholders to identify ways to streamline health care administration requirements and reduce reporting requirements through the use of a single all-payer database.

The group must issue a report to the legislature by April 1, 2011 identifying steps each agency will take to collectively simplify administrative and reporting requirements.

Section 55: 2010 Open Enrollment Exception

Allows individuals to renew health insurance coverage in 2010 outside of the biannual open enrollment period of January 1 through February 15 and July 1 through August 15 if the coverage will expire before the following open enrollment period in 2011 for a period of less than one year. Note that Section 27 of this Act reduces the biannual open enrollment period to only one annual open enrollment period during July 1 through August 15 effective January 1, 2011.

Section 54: Standard Quality Measure Set

Instructs the Department of Public Health to organize a statewide advisory committee to develop and recommend a standard set of quality measurements for health care providers by January 1, 2011. The governor must appoint 6 representatives of health facility and provider organizations to join 10 state officials on the advisory committee.

In developing the Standard Quality Measure Set for 2010, the committee may only consider adopting state and federal quality and safety measures already in existence. In 2011, the committee may consider amending the Set to include nationally recognized quality measures that are not yet developed. At a minimum, the Set must include measures specified in this section.

The advisory committee must annually recommend to DPH updates to the Standard Quality Measure Set by each November 1st.

Section 53: Health Care Facility Total Cost Reporting Requirement

Instructs the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP), in consultation with the Division of Insurance, to establish regulations directing hospitals to calculate and report all costs, including inpatient and outpatient costs and direct and indirect costs. Calculations must include costs and cost trends for labor, debt-related expenses, advertising and marketing, insurance, health information technology, management, research, academic costs, contributions, and all business operation costs. Before adopting final regulations, DHCFP must consult with designated stakeholders.