Assigned to HEA                                                                                                                         FOR COMMITTEE

 

 

 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Phoenix, Arizona

 

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2339

 

community health centers; confidential information

 

Purpose

 

Expands confidentiality of peer review information and related protections from civil liability to include qualifying community health centers (CHC).

 

Background

 

CHCs are private, not-for-profit health care facilities that provide comprehensive primary and preventive care in medically underserved and rural areas.  CHCs treat uninsured patients, Medicare beneficiaries, privately insured patients and Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System members.  According to the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers (AACHC), there are 34 CHCs with over 90 locations in this State; of these, 12 are federally qualified.  

 

Pursuant to A.R.S. §36-445, hospitals and outpatient surgery centers are required to perform peer reviews to reduce mortality and improve the care of patients at their health care institutions.  A.R.S. §36-2401 allows other health care providers and facilities to perform quality assurance reviews to investigate the quality of health care by reviewing professional practices, training, experience, patient cases and conduct.  Under the peer review statutes and the quality assurance review statutes, records and materials of the review committee are confidential.  As well, health care providers and facilities who conduct or participate in the review committee process are immune from civil liability.  The AACHC has requested this legislation to specify CHCs are extended the same protections as other providers and facilities that conduct peer reviews.       

 

There is no discernable impact to the state general fund related to this legislation. 

 

Provisions

 

1.      Expands the confidentiality requirements for peer review materials to include CHCs that conduct peer reviews. 

 

2.      Exempts CHC peer review committee members from civil liability except for liability arising from treatment of a patient.

 

3.      Defines “qualifying community health centers.”

 

4.      Makes conforming and technical changes.

 

5.      Provides for a general effective date.

House Action

 

HEA                2/4/02              DP       7-0-0-3

RGO                2/12/02            DP       8-0-0-2

3rd Read           4/2/02                          51-4-5-0

 

 

Prepared by Senate Staff

April 5, 2002