Sec. 531.0162. USE OF TECHNOLOGY. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a policy requiring the agency commissioner and employees of each health and human services agency to research and propose appropriate technological solutions to improve the agency's ability to perform its functions. The technological solutions must:

(1) ensure that the public is able to easily find information about a health and human services agency on the Internet;

(2) ensure that persons who want to use a health and human services agency's services are able to:

(A) interact with the agency through the Internet; and

(B) access any service that can be provided effectively through the Internet;

(3) be cost-effective and developed through the commission's planning process; and

(4) meet federal accessibility standards for persons with disabilities.

(b) The commission shall develop and implement a policy described by Subsection (a) in relation to the commission's functions.

(c) Subject to available appropriations, the commission shall use technology whenever possible in connection with the adult protective services program of the Department of Family and Protective Services to:

(1) provide for automated collection of information necessary to evaluate program effectiveness using systems that integrate collection of necessary information with other routine duties of caseworkers and other service providers; and

(2) consequently reduce the time that caseworkers and other service providers are required to use in gathering and reporting information necessary for program evaluation.

(d) The commission shall include representatives of the private sector in the technology planning process used to determine appropriate technology for the adult protective services program of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

(e) The executive commissioner shall ensure that:

(1) all information systems available for use by the commission or a health and human services agency in sending protected health information to a health care provider or receiving protected health information from a health care provider, and for which planning or procurement begins on or after September 1, 2015, are capable of sending or receiving that information in accordance with the applicable data exchange standards developed by the appropriate standards development organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute;

(2) if national data exchange standards do not exist for a system described by Subdivision (1), the commission makes every effort to ensure the system is interoperable with the national standards for electronic health record systems; and

(3) the commission and each health and human services agency establish an interoperability standards plan for all information systems that exchange protected health information with health care providers.

(f) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the executive commissioner shall report to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board on the commission's and the health and human services agencies' measurable progress in ensuring that the information systems described in Subsection (e) are interoperable with one another and meet the appropriate standards specified by that subsection. The report must include an assessment of the progress made in achieving commission goals related to the exchange of health information, including facilitating care coordination among the agencies, ensuring quality improvement, and realizing cost savings.

(g) The executive commissioner by rule may develop and the commission may implement a system to reimburse providers of health care services under the state Medicaid program for review and transmission of electronic health information if feasible and cost-effective.

(h) In this section, "health care provider" and "provider of health care services" include a physician.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 1.06, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 268 (S.B. 6), Sec. 2.17, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1085 (H.B. 2641), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015.