Revision: Jan. 21, 2010, midnight
HB 1723-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2006 SESSION
01/10
HOUSE BILL 1723-FN
AN ACT relative to health care and health insurance data.
SPONSORS: Rep. Kurk, Hills 7; Rep. Batula, Hills 19; Rep. Wendelboe, Belk 1; Rep. Hogancamp, Ches 4; Sen. Martel, Dist 18; Sen. Kenney, Dist 3
This bill requires licensed health care providers and facilities to make available certain information relative to costs for services. The bill also requires the insurance department to establish unique numbers for each medical service and to make such information available on its website.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
06-2753
01/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Six
AN ACT relative to health care and health insurance data.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subdivision; Health Care and Health Insurance Costs. Amend RSA 400-A by inserting after section 39-a the following new subdivision:
Health Care and Health Insurance Costs
400-A:39-b Health Care Cost Information.
I. Licensed health care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities licensed under RSA 151, shall post or make available on their premises in a readily understandable form the (a) cash price they charge and (b) the average reimbursement rate they receive from insurance companies for each service or product they offer. Each provider subject to this section shall also send such information to the commissioner of the department of insurance. This paragraph shall not apply to pharmacies and other drug or medical product suppliers.
II. Health care providers shall report annually to the insurance department relative to the number of malpractice claims filed and the dollar amount of settlements made, whether based on court findings or out-of-court settlement and whether they were commercially insured or self-insured against such claims in any year in which there was at least one claim or settlement made. The insurance department shall make this information public after it protects the privacy of individual claimants from constructive identification.
III. The insurance department shall establish a unique number for each medical service. In order to facilitate comparison, the number shall be uniform among all providers of that service.
IV. The insurance department shall compile and make available on its website a searchable database so that a person seeking a particular service can:
(a) Determine its number;
(b) Search the database by number; and
(c) Sort the providers by geographic area and price.
V. On or before January 1, 2007, the commissioner of the department of health and human services shall make available to the public information on each insurer and health care provider, identified only by a unique number, participating in the comprehensive health care conformation system under RSA 420-G:11-a.
2 Insurance; Health Services Cost Data. Amend RSA 400-A:25, I to read as follows:
I. Unless otherwise provided by law, all records and documents of the insurance department are subject to public inspection pursuant to the right to know law, RSA 91-A. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 91-A, the commissioner may determine by order that it is in the public interest to make public additional records and documents or to hold certain records and documents confidential within the insurance department; provided that data required to be reported under RSA 400-A:39-b shall be available under RSA 91-A.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
06-2753
Revised 1/9/06
HB 1723 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to health care and health insurance data.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Insurance Department stated this bill may increase state restricted revenue and expenditures and county and local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2006 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Insurance Department (ID) and Department of Health and Human Services (DH&HS) stated this bill would require various health care providers to post and make available certain information with regard to charges and reimbursement for services and certain information relative to malpractice claims and settlement of those claims. The ID assumes these requirements will have a negligible effect on the cost of healthcare, and therefore, a negligible effect on the cost of health insurance. The ID is unable to determine whether it has the necessary personnel to process and compile this data. The ID is funded by assessments on insurance carriers. To the extent that appropriations may increase, these assessments will increase. The increased assessment costs will be passed on to NH insured’s through increased premiums. This would result in an indeterminable increase in cost to state, county and local governments. This bill also requires DH&HS to make certain information available to the public relative to the Comprehensive Health Care Information System. The DH&HS will be able to absorb any costs associated with these duties within their existing budget.