New Jersey-2024-A2957-Introduced

An Act concerning electronic health record systems and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Commissioner of Human Services, or the commissioner's designee, shall develop or purchase, and make available free of charge, an electronic health record system to each community provider agency providing services or supports to individuals with developmental disabilities eligible for services or supports from the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services.

b. The system provided for in subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, provide a uniform system for each community provider agency to:

(1) record information about individuals with developmental disabilities served by the provider agency, including, but not limited to, the care and services provided, the dates of service or attendance, as appropriate, and the outcomes achieved as a result of the care and services provided;

(2) report to the Division of Developmental Disabilities information provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

(3) request payment for care and services provided.

c. The system shall be used in connection with any audit conducted of a community provider agency providing services or supports to individuals with developmental disabilities eligible for services or supports from the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and shall be completed and implemented on or before January 1, 2021.

2. a. In determining the rate of payment for each community provider agency providing services or supports to individuals with developmental disabilities under a fee-for-service arrangement with the Division of Developmental Disabilities, the division shall take into account any funds expended by a community provider agency, prior to the effective date of this act, to develop or purchase an electronic health record system, and include those expended funds as an eligible cost of the provider.

b. Each community provider agency that has expended funds pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall document such expenditures and provide the documentation to the Division of Developmental Disabilities to enable the division to include these expenditures as an eligible cost of the provider.

3. Notwithstanding any provision of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the contrary, the Commissioner of Human Services may adopt, immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law, such regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to implement the provisions of this act, which regulations shall be effective for a period not to exceed six months and may, thereafter, be amended, adopted or readopted by the commissioner in accordance with the requirements of P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services, or the commissioner's designee, to develop or purchase, and make available free of charge, an electronic health record system to each community provider agency providing services or supports to individuals with developmental disabilities eligible for services or supports from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) in the Department of Human Services.

Under the provisions of the bill, the system would, at a minimum, provide a uniform system for each community provider agency to record information about individuals with developmental disabilities served by the provider agency, including, but not limited to, the care and services provided, the dates of service or attendance, as appropriate, and the outcomes achieved as a result of the care and services provided.

The system would also enable the community provider agencies to report the above information to DDD and request payment for the care and services provided. Additionally, the system would be used in connection with audits conducted of the agencies. The system is to be completed and implemented on or before January 1, 2021.

With regard to funds expended by a community provider agency, prior to the effective date of the bill, to develop or purchase an electronic health record system, the bill provides that in determining the rate of payment for the provider under a fee-for-service arrangement with DDD, any funds expended prior to the effective date of the bill are to be taken into account and included as an eligible cost of the provider. These community provider agencies are to document the expenditures and provide documentation to DDD to enable these expenditures to be included as an eligible cost of the provider.