(a) There shall be a State Health Information Technology Advisory Council to advise the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy and the health information technology officer, designated in accordance with section 19a-754a, in developing priorities and policy recommendations for advancing the state's health information technology and health information exchange efforts and goals and to advise the executive director and officer in the development and implementation of the state-wide health information technology plan and standards and the State-wide Health Information Exchange, established pursuant to section 17b-59d. The advisory council shall also advise the executive director and officer regarding the development of appropriate governance, oversight and accountability measures to ensure success in achieving the state's health information technology and exchange goals.
(b) The council shall consist of the following members:
(1) One member appointed by the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, who shall be an expert in state health care reform initiatives;
(2) The health information technology officer, designated in accordance with section 19a-754a, or the health information technology officer's designee;
(3) The Commissioners of Social Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Children and Families, Correction, Public Health and Developmental Services, or the commissioners' designees;
(4) The Chief Information Officer of the state, or the Chief Information Officer's designee;
(5) The chief executive officer of the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, or the chief executive officer's designee;
(6) The chief information officer of The University of Connecticut Health Center, or the chief information officer's designee;
(7) The Healthcare Advocate, or the Healthcare Advocate's designee;
(8) The Comptroller, or the Comptroller's designee;
(9) Five members appointed by the Governor, one each who shall be (A) a representative of a health system that includes more than one hospital, (B) a representative of the health insurance industry, (C) an expert in health information technology, (D) a health care consumer or consumer advocate, and (E) a current or former employee or trustee of a plan established pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (c) of 29 USC 186;
(10) Three members appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one each who shall be (A) a representative of a federally qualified health center, (B) a provider of behavioral health services, and (C) a physician licensed under chapter 370;
(11) Three members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one each who shall be (A) a technology expert who represents a hospital system, as defined in section 19a-486i, (B) a provider of home health care services, and (C) a health care consumer or a health care consumer advocate;
(12) One member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of an independent community hospital;
(13) One member appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a physician who provides services in a multispecialty group and who is not employed by a hospital;
(14) One member appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a primary care physician who provides services in a small independent practice;
(15) One member appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be an expert in health care analytics and quality analysis;
(16) The president pro tempore of the Senate, or the president's designee;
(17) The speaker of the House of Representatives, or the speaker's designee;
(18) The minority leader of the Senate, or the minority leader's designee; and
(19) The minority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader's designee.
(c) Any member appointed or designated under subdivisions (10) to (19), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly.
(d) (1) The health information technology officer, designated in accordance with section 19a-754a, shall serve as a chairperson of the council. The council shall elect a second chairperson from among its members, who shall not be a state official. The chairpersons of the council may establish subcommittees and working groups and may appoint individuals other than members of the council to serve as members of the subcommittees or working groups. The terms of the members shall be coterminous with the terms of the appointing authority for each member and subject to the provisions of section 4-1a. If any vacancy occurs on the council, the appointing authority having the power to make the appointment under the provisions of this section shall appoint a person in accordance with the provisions of this section. A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum. Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(2) The chairpersons of the council may appoint up to four additional members to the council, who shall serve at the pleasure of the chairpersons.
(e) (1) The council shall establish a working group to be known as the All-Payer Claims Database Advisory Group. Said group shall include, but need not be limited to, (A) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Comptroller, the Commissioners of Public Health, Social Services and Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Insurance Commissioner, the Healthcare Advocate and the Chief Information Officer, or their designees; (B) a representative of the Connecticut State Medical Society; and (C) representatives of health insurance companies, health insurance purchasers, hospitals, consumer advocates and health care providers. The health information technology officer may appoint additional members to said group.
(2) The All-Payer Claims Database Advisory Group shall develop a plan to implement a state-wide multipayer data initiative to enhance the state's use of heath care data from multiple sources to increase efficiency, enhance outcomes and improve the understanding of health care expenditures in the public and private sectors.
(f) Prior to submitting any application, proposal, planning document or other request seeking federal grants, matching funds or other federal support for health information technology or health information exchange, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy or the Commissioner of Social Services shall present such application, proposal, document or other request to the council for review and comment.
(P.A. 15-146, S. 25; 15-242, S. 59; P.A. 16-77, S. 7; P.A. 17-188, S. 7; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 127; P.A. 18-91, S. 11.)
History: P.A. 15-146 effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (b)(7) by adding “a current or former” and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-77 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to Commissioner of Social Services with references to Health Information Technology Officer, amended Subsec. (b) by adding new Subdiv. (1) re Health Information Technology Officer and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (17) as Subdivs. (2) to (18), amending redesignated Subdiv. (9) by replacing “two members” with “three members” and adding Subpara. (C) re representative of Connecticut State Medical Society, amending redesignated Subdiv. (10) by replacing “two members” with “three members”, replacing reference to representative of outpatient surgical facility with reference to technology expert who represents hospital system in Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (C) re health care consumer or health care consumer advocate, amended Subsec. (c) by making conforming changes, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provisions re date for appointments to council and first meeting, replacing reference to Commissioner of Social Services with reference to Health Information Technology Officer and deleting provision re number of times council shall meet prior to January 1, 2016, and amended Subsec. (e) by adding reference to Health Information Technology Officer, effective June 2, 2016; P.A. 17-188 amended Subsec. (d) by making a technical change; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (b) by adding new Subdiv. (8) re Comptroller and redesignating existing Subdivs. (8) to (18) as Subdivs. (9) to (19), amended Subsec. (d) by designating existing provisions re Health Information Technology Officer as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by adding provision re chairpersons establishing subcommittees and working groups and adding Subdiv. (2) re chairpersons appointing additional members to council, added new Subsec. (e) re All-Payer Claims Database Advisory Group and redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f), and made conforming changes, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, and replacing “19a-755” with “19a-754a”, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing Health Information Technology Officer with member appointed by executive director of the Office of Health Strategy in Subdiv. (1), adding new Subdiv. (2) re health information technology officer, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (4), as Subdivs. (3) to (5), deleting former Subdiv. (5) re director of state innovation model, making a technical change in Subdivs. (6) and (9), and replacing “representative of the Connecticut State Medical Society” with “physician licensed under chapter 370” in Subdiv. (10), amended Subsec. (d)(1) by replacing “Health Information Technology Officer, appointed in accordance with section 19a-755” with “health information technology officer, designated in accordance with section 19a-754a”, amended Subsec. (e)(1) by making a technical change, and amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “Health Information Technology Officer” with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy”, effective May 14, 2018.