Chapter
354
2006 -- S 2757 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED
Enacted 07/07/06
A N A
C T
RELATING TO HEALTH
AND SAFETY -- COORDINATED HEALTH PLANNING ACT OF 2006
Introduced By: Senators C
Levesque, and Roberts
Date Introduced: February
14, 2006
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is
hereby
amended
by adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER 81
RHODE ISLAND COORDINATED HEALTH PLANNING ACT OF 2006
23-81-1.
Short title. – This act shall be known as the "Rhode Island
Coordinated Health
Planning
Act of 2006."
23-81-2.
Legislative findings. – It is hereby found and declared:
(a)
The vast majority of Rhode Islanders believe that quality, affordable health
care
should
be available to all in our state;
(b)
Our current health care crisis effects all facets of Rhode Island's economy,
with a
particular
burden on small business owners, young people, and those approaching
retirement;
(c)
A majority of Rhode Islanders believe that the state government has a
significant role
to
play in solving this health care crisis because of the federal government's
lack of commitment
to do
so;
(d)
The current state health care infrastructure is fragmented with an array of
state
departments
and offices carrying out health care planning, along with a myriad of private
efforts,
all
with a lack of coordination;
(e)
Because an essential component of health planning is resource allocation, there
is a
need
to professionalize the health services council and revitalize the certificate
of need process;
(f)
Rhode Island's small size makes us the perfect laboratory to create a unified health
care
system, planned and coordinated with a functioning public/private partnership,
with broad
representation
of all of the health care stakeholders; and
(g)
The general assembly finds that the people of this state have a fundamental
interest in
the
establishment of a comprehensive strategic health care planning process and the
preparation,
maintenance,
and implementation of plans to improve the quality, accessibility, portability,
and
affordability
of health care in Rhode Island; that the continued growth, viability and
development
of
the health care infrastructure by the private and public sector requires
effective planning by the
state;
and that state and local plans and programs must be properly coordinated with
the planning
requirements
and programs of the federal government.
23-81-3.
Establishment of statewide health planning program – An assessment. – (a)
The
director of the department of health, in consultation with an advisory
committee composed of
representatives
of health care consumers, providers and payors, is hereby directed to develop
an
assessment
of the existing state capacity and authority to perform coordinated statewide
health
planning.
Said assessment shall include a plan for the development and revision of strategic
plans
to
improve the quality, accessibility, portability and affordability of the
state's health care system,
and a
study of an expanded role for the department of health in health care planning,
including
capital
investment expansion and introduction of technology. This assessment shall be
submitted
to
the joint legislative committee on health care oversight, the house committee
on finance, and
the
senate committee on finance, on or before April 1, 2007.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
=======
LC01533/SUB A
=======