The proposed bill amends Nebraska's statutes concerning the prescription drug monitoring program and the Population Health Information Act. A significant change is the requirement for all prescription drug information to be reported to the monitoring system, with access now contingent on payment of an access fee by "any prescriber or dispenser," replacing the previous provision that allowed "all prescribers or dispensers" to access it for free. The bill also introduces a provision that permits the operator of the monitoring system to charge access fees and imposes fees on pharmacy benefit managers for their operational use of the system.

In addition, the bill enhances the Population Health Information Act by introducing new definitions, such as "nonfederal costs," which pertain to operational expenses not covered by federal reimbursement. It emphasizes the need for sustainability assessments for the health information exchange and the prescription drug monitoring program, while mandating participation from health care facilities and insurance plans in sharing clinical information. The establishment of a new Population Health Information Assessment Fund is also included to cover nonfederal costs, along with a quarterly assessment process overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. The act is designed to improve health information management and is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 71-2454