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Legislation that will make hospital prices and information such as rates of complications and re-admissions available on a public website by 2018 has now passed the House and Senate and is awaiting the governors signature to become law.

The House passed the Senate Judiciary Committee substitute for SBs 323 and 474 on Wednesday night.

Hospitals and health facilities already are required to report on an extensive list of data to the state Department of Health, including medical outcomes, mortality and health-system costs. But the department is not allowed to publicly release it in a way that identifies a specific hospital or other type of health facility.

The bill amends the Health Information System Act to allow the release of hospital-specific quality and cost information. It would create an advisory committee to determine how to present the information and directs the department to create a user-friendly website where it can be presented.

The bill says the information would be presented in a way that complies with federal and state laws to maintain the confidentiality of patient information.

SB 323 was sponsored by Rep. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque; SB 474 was sponsored by Sens. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, and Sander Rue, R-Albuquerque.

More here:

Hospital data bill clears both chambers