§ 2222a - Health care system reform; improving quality and affordability
§ 2222a. Health care system reform; improving quality and affordability
(a) The secretary of administration shall be responsible for the coordination of health care system reform initiatives among executive branch agencies, departments, and offices.
(b) The secretary shall ensure that those executive branch agencies, departments, and offices responsible for the development, improvement, and implementation of Vermont's health care system reform do so in a manner that is timely, patient-centered, and seeks to improve the quality and affordability of patient care.
(c) Vermont's health care system reform initiatives include:
(1) The state's chronic care infrastructure, disease prevention, and management program contained in the blueprint for health established by chapter 13 of Title 18, the goal of which is to achieve a unified, comprehensive, statewide system of care that improves the lives of Vermonters with or at risk for a chronic condition or disease.
(2) The Vermont health information technology project pursuant to chapter 219 of Title 18.
(3) The multi-payer data collection project pursuant to section 9410 of Title 18.
(4) The common claims administration project pursuant to section 9408 of Title 18.
(5) The consumer price and quality information system pursuant to section 9410 of Title 18.
(6) Any information technology work done by the quality assurance system pursuant to section 9416 of Title 18.
(7) The public health promotion programs of the agency of human services.
(8) Medicaid, the Vermont health access plan, Dr. Dynasaur, premium assistance programs for employer-sponsored insurance, VPharm, and Vermont Rx, which are established in chapter 19 of Title 33 and provide health care coverage to elderly, disabled, and low to middle income Vermonters.
(9) Catamount Health, established in section 4080f of Title 8, which provides a comprehensive benefit plan with a sliding-scale premium based on income to uninsured Vermonters.
(10) The uniform hospital uncompensated car policies.
(d) The secretary shall report to the commission on health care reform, the health access oversight committee, the house committee on health care, the senate committee on health and welfare, and the governor on or before December 1, 2006 with a five-year strategic plan for implementing Vermont's health care system reform initiatives, together with any recommendations for administration or legislation. Annually, beginning January 15, 2007, the secretary shall report to the general assembly on the progress of the reform initiatives.
(e) The secretary of administration or designee shall provide information and testimony on the activities included in this section to the health access oversight committee, the commission on health care reform, and to any legislative committee upon request. (Added 2005, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 342a; amended 2007, No. 70, § 32; 2009, No. 61, § 2.)