2010 Arkansas Code
Title 20 - Public Health And Welfare
Subtitle 2 - Health And Safety
Chapter 7 - State Board of Health -- Department of Health
Subchapter 3 - State Health Data Clearinghouse Act
§ 20-7-305 - State Board of Health to prescribe rules and regulations -- Data collected not subject to discovery.

20-7-305. State Board of Health to prescribe rules and regulations -- Data collected not subject to discovery.

(a) The State Board of Health shall prescribe and enforce such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out this subchapter, including the manner in which data are collected, maintained, compiled, and disseminated, and including such rules as may be necessary to promote and protect the confidentiality of data reported under this subchapter.

(b) Data provided, collected, or disseminated under this subchapter which identifies, or could be used to identify, any individual patient, provider, institution, or health plan shall not be subject to discovery pursuant to the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure or the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, 25-19-101 et seq.

(c) (1) (A) The Department of Human Services may provide data only for purposes of research and aggregate statistical reporting to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for its Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, or other researchers for research projects approved by the Department of Health to rules promulgated by the State Board of Health that provide for appropriate security and confidentiality protections for the data.

(B) The Department of Human Services also shall provide data to the Arkansas Hospital Association for its price transparency and consumer-driven health care project that will make price and quality information about Arkansas hospitals available to the general public.

(2) The data shall be treated in a manner consistent with all state and federal privacy requirements, including, without limitation, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 privacy rule, specifically 45 C.F.R. 164.512(i).

(3) Any identifiable data provided, collected, or disseminated under this subsection shall not be subject to discovery pursuant to the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure or the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, 25-19-101 et seq.

(d) It shall be unlawful for the center to release any patient-identifying information to any nongovernmental third party.