Center for Data Insights and Innovation
Section § 103206.1
This law section outlines rules for a center handling personal information. The center must create a program to manage data use, ensuring only non-identifiable, aggregated data is publicly available. The program focuses on privacy rights and includes standards for privacy protection.
The center needs a secure environment for accessing personal data, which restricts data access to only what is approved and protects against misuse. It must also track requests for personal information and handle them promptly.
Personal information access is limited to qualified researchers or public health authorities unless otherwise permitted by law.
Section § 103206.2
This law outlines how the center should provide access to personal information for research purposes. To access this information, it must be for an approved project, and only the minimum necessary amount of data should be accessed. Every person who receives this data must sign an agreement that restricts them from disclosing it further.
If there's a breach of this agreement, it's considered a legal violation. Researchers can access data if it doesn't include specific personal identifiers or if the research significantly aids the center's goals and meets certain conditions such as project approval and demonstrated expertise in privacy. Additionally, their findings must be shared with the center.
Section § 130200
This law creates the Center for Data Insights and Innovation within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Its main job is to make sure that medical information remains confidential. A director, who is also the Chief Data Officer, will lead the center and be appointed by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services.
Section § 130201
This law recognizes the importance of data managed by the California Health and Human Services Agency, which includes information on health care, social services, and public health. It emphasizes the need to protect individual privacy and ensure that data is used securely and responsibly to improve public services and policies.
The law outlines the benefits of enhanced data utilization, such as efficiency in targeting resources and identifying gaps in services, particularly for vulnerable populations. It also acknowledges past barriers to data sharing and underscores the necessity for standardized privacy law interpretations to facilitate secure data exchange.
The Legislature intends to create the Center for Data Insights and Innovation to provide guidelines for health information sharing, enhance data privacy protections, and streamline data collection processes. This includes establishing information-sharing protocols, increasing data privacy, publishing insights on health care quality, and developing data-related initiatives to improve person-centered health and social services.
Section § 130202
This section provides definitions for terms used within a specific division of California law. It explains key terms like "bona fide research," referring to genuine research projects as defined in another section of the California regulations. The "Center" is identified as the Center for Data Insights and Innovation, and the "Chief Data Officer" is its Director. It defines the "CHHS Open Data Portal" as California's health data hub, while "HIPAA" refers to a federal law protecting health information. The "Research Data Hub" is another data resource from the Health and Human Services Agency. Lastly, "state entities" covers various government units, and "qualified researcher" includes those involved with genuine research, like health care investigators and certain educational institutions.
Section § 130203
This law establishes a central authority, known as the center, to oversee compliance with health information privacy laws in California. The center is responsible for forming policies, coordinating efforts, and monitoring progress related to both state and federal health privacy regulations, such as HIPAA. Starting in 2022, the center must conduct security assessments every three years and report findings to the Office of Emergency Services.
State entities must conduct HIPAA impact assessments and work with the center to ensure compliance. The center also assesses which state laws are overridden by HIPAA while providing guidance and training on privacy rights and health information sharing. Annually, the center updates the legislature on its efforts to improve health and human services, focusing on underserved populations.
Section § 130204
This law mandates the creation of annual publications including a healthcare quality report card, which will be available online. It involves gathering data from various state health departments on care quality, costs, and other factors. The center can also partner with academic or nonprofit organizations for this purpose.
Additionally, an annual report will detail the operations of consumer assistance centers, focusing on call types, resolutions, protocols, and performance standards. The center may also collect and analyze data on consumer complaints and issues, providing public information to aid understanding and improvement of healthcare access and quality.
The center is tasked with providing tools and education to improve consumer access to quality care and address disparities related to socioeconomic factors. It will develop consumer surveys on various health topics and set standards to ensure healthcare reports are easy for consumers to understand.
Definitions included clarify terms like 'healthcare service plan' and 'health coverage program,' and emphasize that collected data will not include personally identifiable information.
Section § 130205
This section involves oversight of research using state data in California. A specialized board, the State Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, must approve research involving state data assets before any information can be shared, ensuring compliance with privacy laws. The center is also tasked with managing the California Health and Human Services Agency's data initiatives, including the CHHS Open Data Portal and the Research Data Hub. Additionally, the center uses data to enhance operations and services within the agency.
Section § 130206
This California law states that when the center conducts public health activities, it deals with personal information essential for projects that serve public health purposes. All personal information collected by the center must be kept confidential.
Information released to the public must be deidentified and aggregated, protecting individual privacy. Privacy policies must align with laws like HIPAA to ensure consumer information is secured. Personal information from other state entities is generally exempt from public records requests.
Importantly, the law clarifies that collected data cannot be used to affect individual patient care, treatment decisions, or insurance coverage determinations.
Section § 130207
This law establishes the Center for Data Insights and Innovation Fund in the California State Treasury starting July 1, 2021. It's designed to manage financial resources for activities outlined in this division by transitioning assets and liabilities from the previous Office of Health Information Integrity Trust Fund. Money in this fund can be carried over each fiscal year if not used, and any interest earned stays within the fund to support its purposes.
The fund will cover costs for processing, personnel, and operations, with the possibility of creating dedicated accounts within it. It consists of money provided by the legislature, income from services, and other sources like investment returns. Additionally, the center can charge non-state entities for services and may seek federal funding, including grants and participation in Medi-Cal support.
Section § 130208
This law section explains that the Office of Patient Advocate Trust Fund is now called the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund. The money in this fund can only be used for specific purposes approved by the Legislature, as described in another section. Money from the original fund will be transferred to this renamed fund, and the fund is identified as Fund 3209 in financial records. Any interest earned from this fund will stay in the fund and must be used as intended by detailed purposes.
Section § 130209
This law section outlines how funds are allocated to the Health Plan Improvement Trust Fund from two sources: the Managed Care Fund and the Insurance Fund. Money from the Managed Care Fund is determined by the number of people covered under plans regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care, which includes Medi-Cal managed care. Meanwhile, money from the Insurance Fund is based on the number of people with health insurance policies regulated by the Department of Insurance, including those with Medicare supplement plans. The allocation from each fund is proportional to the total number of people covered under these plans in California.
Section § 130210
This law gives the director the ability to create rules to enforce changes in a specific legal area. Before any rule is finalized, there must be a 45-day posting on the center's website, allowing for public comments for at least 30 days. If someone asks for a public hearing during this comment period, it must be held before the rule can be adopted. This process for creating or changing regulations is valid until June 30, 2024.
Interestingly, these regulations are exempt from certain formal rulemaking requirements of the California Government Code until the same date. Once a regulation is ready, it must be filed with the Office of Administrative Law, which then files it with the Secretary of State for official state record inclusion in the California Code of Regulations.
Generally, each new regulation is effective upon filing unless stated otherwise and will expire automatically once the related division is repealed.
Section § 130211
This law allows a center to hire outside organizations to help carry out its duties. These organizations must meet specific privacy and confidentiality standards set by the center. The center is responsible for providing privacy training and checking regularly that these organizations follow the rules. This work is considered a new role for the state, so it can be done by independent contractors under certain conditions.