Bill Text: OR SB604 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to credentialing of health care practitioners.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2013-07-03 - Effective date, January 1, 2014. [SB604 Detail]
Download: Oregon-2013-SB604-Enrolled.html
77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Bill 604
Sponsored by Senators BATES, STEINER HAYWARD
CHAPTER ................
AN ACT
Relating to credentialing of health care practitioners.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. { + Sections 2 to 7 of this 2013 Act are added to
and made a part of ORS chapter 442. + }
SECTION 2. { + As used in sections 2 to 7 of this 2013 Act:
(1) 'Credentialing information' means information necessary to
credential or recredential a health care practitioner.
(2) 'Credentialing organization' means a hospital or other
health care facility, physician organization or other health care
provider organization, coordinated care organization, business
organization, insurer or other organization that credentials
health care practitioners.
(3) 'Health care practitioner' means an individual authorized
to practice a profession related to the provision of health care
services in this state for which the individual must be
credentialed.
(4) 'Health care regulatory board' means a board or other
agency that authorizes individuals to practice a profession
related to the provision of health care services for which the
individual must be credentialed. + }
SECTION 3. { + (1)(a) The Oregon Health Authority, in
consultation with the advisory work group convened under section
7 of this 2013 Act, shall establish a program for the purpose of
providing to a credentialing organization access to information
that is necessary to credential or recredential a health care
practitioner.
(b) To fulfill the requirements of this subsection, the
authority shall establish and operate an electronic system
through which credentialing information may be submitted to an
electronic database and accessed. The system must operate and be
accessible by credentialing organizations, health care
practitioners and health care regulatory boards 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. The authority may contract with a private
entity to ensure the effective establishment and operation of the
system.
(c) To the greatest extent practicable, the electronic system
shall use the most accessible and current technology available.
(2) In consultation with the advisory work group convened under
section 7 of this 2013 Act, the authority shall adopt rules for
the operation of the electronic system, including:
Enrolled Senate Bill 604 (SB 604-B) Page 1
(a) Identification of the type of information that is necessary
to credential or recredential each type of health care
practitioner;
(b) Processes by which a health care practitioner or health
care regulatory board submits credentialing information to the
authority or an entity that has entered into a contract with the
authority under subsection (1)(b) of this section;
(c) Processes, as required by recognized state and national
credentialing standards, by which credentialing information
submitted under section 4 of this 2013 Act is verified;
(d) Processes by which a credentialing organization, health
care practitioner or health care regulatory board may
electronically access the database;
(e) Processes by which a health care practitioner may attest
that the credentialing information in the electronic database is
current;
(f) The purposes for which credentialing information accessed
by a credentialing organization or health care regulatory board
may be used; and
(g) The imposition of fees, not to exceed the cost of
administering sections 2 to 7 of this 2013 Act, on health care
practitioners who submit credentialing information to the
database and credentialing organizations that access the
database.
(3) All information, except for general information used for
directories, as defined by the authority by rule, that is
received, kept and maintained in the database under this section
is exempt from public disclosure under ORS 192.410 to
192.505. + }
SECTION 4. { + (1)(a) As a condition of being authorized to
practice a profession in this state, a health care practitioner
or designee must submit to the Oregon Health Authority, an entity
that has entered into a contract with the authority under section
3 (1)(b) of this 2013 Act or a health care regulatory board the
credentialing information identified by the authority under
section 3 (2)(a) of this 2013 Act.
(b) A health care practitioner that, in good faith, submits
credentialing information under this subsection is immune from
civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with
respect to the submission of that credentialing information.
(2) The authority may require a health care regulatory board,
after consulting with the health care regulatory board, to
provide or supplement the credentialing information identified by
the authority under section 3 (2)(a) of this 2013 Act.
(3)(a) A credentialing organization shall obtain from the
authority, or an entity that has entered into a contract with the
authority under section 3 (1)(b) of this 2013 Act, the
credentialing information of the health care practitioner that is
kept and maintained in the electronic database described in
section 3 of this 2013 Act. A credentialing organization may not
request credentialing information from a health care practitioner
if the credentialing information is available through the
database. However, nothing in sections 2 to 7 of this 2013 Act
shall prevent a credentialing organization from requesting
additional credentialing information from a health care
practitioner for the purpose of completing credentialing
procedures for the health care practitioner used by the
credentialing organization.
(b) A credentialing organization that, in good faith, uses
credentialing information provided under this subsection for the
Enrolled Senate Bill 604 (SB 604-B) Page 2
purposes established by the authority under section 3 (2)(e) of
this 2013 Act is immune from civil liability that might otherwise
be incurred or imposed with respect to the use of that
credentialing information. + }
SECTION 5. { + A prepaid group practice health plan that
serves at least 200,000 members in this state and that has been
issued a certificate of authority by the Department of Consumer
and Business Services may petition the Director of the Oregon
Health Authority to be exempt from the requirements of sections 2
to 7 of this 2013 Act. The director may award the petition if the
director determines that subjecting the health plan to sections 2
to 7 of this 2013 Act is not cost-effective. If a petition is
awarded under this section, the exemption also applies to any
health care facilities and health care provider groups associated
with the health plan. + }
SECTION 6. { + The Director of the Oregon Health Authority
shall adopt rules necessary for the administration of sections 2
to 7 of this 2013 Act. + }
SECTION 7. { + At least once per year, the Oregon Health
Authority shall convene an advisory group consisting of
individuals who represent credentialing organizations, health
care practitioners and health care regulatory boards to review
and advise the authority on the implementation of sections 2 to 7
of this 2013 Act and on the standard credentialing application
used in this state. + }
SECTION 8. { + (1) To establish the electronic system
described in section 3 of this 2013 Act, the Oregon Health
Authority shall issue a request for information to seek input
from potential contractors on capabilities and cost structures
associated with the scope of work required to establish and
maintain the electronic system. The authority shall use the
results of the request for information to create a formal request
for proposals. No later than 150 business days after the close
of the request for information, the authority shall issue a
formal request for proposals to establish and maintain the
electronic system.
(2) The authority may enter into a contract under section 3
(1)(b) of this 2013 Act with a private entity only if the private
entity:
(a) Can demonstrate appropriate technical, analytical and
clinical knowledge and experience to carry out the duties
prescribed by section 3 of this 2013 Act; or
(b) Has a contract, or will enter into a contract, with another
entity that meets the criteria described in this subsection. + }
SECTION 9. { + The Oregon Health Authority shall report on the
implementation of the electronic system described in section 3
(1) of this 2013 Act and on the development of rules to be
adopted under section 3 (2) of this 2013 Act to:
(1) The interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related
to health no later than October 1, 2014; and
(2) The Legislative Assembly in the manner required by ORS
192.245:
(a) On or before February 1, 2014; and
(b) On or before February 1, 2015. + }
SECTION 10. { + Sections 8 and 9 of this 2013 Act are repealed
on the date of the convening of the 2016 regular session of the
Legislative Assembly as specified in ORS 171.010. + }
SECTION 11. { + (1) Sections 2 to 5 of this 2013 Act become
operative on January 1, 2016.
Enrolled Senate Bill 604 (SB 604-B) Page 3
(2) The Oregon Health Authority may take any action necessary
before the operative date specified in subsection (1) of this
section to enable the authority to exercise, on and after the
operative date specified in subsection (1) of this section, all
the duties, functions and powers conferred on the authority by
sections 2 to 5 of this 2013 Act. + }
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Passed by Senate June 19, 2013
.............................................................
Robert Taylor, Secretary of Senate
.............................................................
Peter Courtney, President of Senate
Passed by House June 24, 2013
.............................................................
Tina Kotek, Speaker of House
Enrolled Senate Bill 604 (SB 604-B) Page 4
Received by Governor:
......M.,............., 2013
Approved:
......M.,............., 2013
.............................................................
John Kitzhaber, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
......M.,............., 2013
.............................................................
Kate Brown, Secretary of State
Enrolled Senate Bill 604 (SB 604-B) Page 5
