HB 1699 (SB 922) – Limits electronic patient information access

HB 1699 (SB 922) delays the electronic release of certain sensitive medical test results to give doctors time to review and communicate them personally. While well-intentioned, the bill adds bureaucratic complexity and could interfere with timely patient access to care, and interferes with individuals personal decision making ability. The bill should be amended to allow patients to opt into or out of this delay. Streamlining patient-doctor communication through voluntary tools or flags in patient portals could achieve the same goal without a blanket policy. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 1699 unless amended.