HB186 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul W. LeeRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Public Health Dept., statewide collection of hospital discharge data required, Hospital Discharge Data Advisory Council established

Summary

HB186 would require the Alabama Department of Public Health to collect, analyze, and publicly disclose hospital discharge data while protecting patient privacy, and create a Hospital Discharge Data Advisory Council to guide rules.

What This Bill Does

The department would begin collecting discharge data from hospitals on a quarterly schedule and develop rules to protect privacy. It would share some discharge data with the Alabama Hospital Association for internal use, while making non-identifying data available to the public under HIPAA and state privacy laws. Hospitals could face civil penalties for late or incomplete reports. The bill also creates the Hospital Discharge Data Advisory Council to advise on rule-making and data protection.

Who It Affects

• Hospitals and hospital systems in Alabama must report inpatient and outpatient discharge data quarterly and comply with reporting rules; they could face civil penalties for late or incomplete reports.
• The general public and patients are protected by confidentiality rules: only non-identifying data can be made public, and patient-specific information remains confidential under HIPAA and this act.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Hospital Discharge Data Advisory Council with specified membership including hospital reps, physicians, insurer, consumer, and state agencies.
• Requires the department to collect, compile, and analyze discharge data from hospitals and to adopt rules for collection, protection, and dissemination (operational by Jan 1, 2022; quarterly reporting begins Apr 1, 2022).
• Directs the department to share discharge data with the Alabama Hospital Association for internal use and to release data publicly only in a privacy-compliant form; prohibits public release of identifiable patient information.
• Imposes civil penalties for delinquent discharge data reporting (five cents per record per day; delinquency defined as missing a report 60 days after quarter end; allows for corrections and waivers).
• Provides confidentiality and privilege protections for patient information and allows the department to publish studies data that do not identify individuals or violate HIPAA.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Health Department