ELECTRONIC INPATIENT

PSYCHIATRIC BED REGISTRY

House Bill 5439 (proposed substitute H-1)

Sponsor:  Rep. Mary Whiteford

Committee:  Health Policy

Complete to 2-13-18

SUMMARY:

House Bill 5439 would add a section to the Mental Health Code that would require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to establish and administer an electronic inpatient psychiatric bed registry, with beds categorized by patient gender, acuity, age, and diagnosis, that is accessible through the DHHS website.

Under the bill, DHHS would establish a web-based resource to identify available inpatient psychiatric beds in Michigan. DHHS could delegate the creation, operation, and maintenance of the registry to a private entity by contract. 

The bill would require psychiatric facilities and other providers to provide DHHS with the number of available inpatient psychiatric beds in their facilities on a basis as close to real time as possible.

The registry would be made accessible to prepaid inpatient health plans, licensed health plans, community mental health service programs, acute care hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and employees and caregivers with other appropriate providers.

Finally, the bill would require DHHS to create a committee to provide guidance on the creation, operation, and maintenance of the registry that would include representatives from the following groups:

·         DHHS.

·         The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

·         Psychiatric facilities.

·         End users of the registry.

·         Consumers, families, and advocates.

·         Law enforcement.

In consultation with the committee, DHHS could establish a policy for the secondary use of registry data.

Beginning on the first quarter after the bill takes effect, DHHS would have to provide quarterly reports on the registry’s implementation to the House and Senate health policy standing committees and the House and Senate DHHS appropriations subcommittees. 

The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Proposed MCL 330.1151

BACKGROUND:

Currently, DHHS updates and publishes bed inventories on its website, including the availability of adult and child/adolescent psychiatric beds.[1] According to the DHHS website, that information is updated on a bimonthly basis on the first business day of January, March, May, July, September, and November.

The bill is understood to require more specific patient information in order to facilitate placement in appropriate facilities, especially when patients are being transferred from emergency room environments and may only be treated at certain facilities.

FISCAL IMPACT:

House Bill 5439 would increase state costs by up to $150,000 to create an inpatient psychiatric bed registry and would require a nominal, but likely negligible, increase for ongoing maintenance and operation. The bill would not have a fiscal impact on local units of government.

                                                                                               

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Jenny McInerney

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Kevin Koorstra

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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