A.R.S. § 36-125.05

Uniform patient reporting system; statistical and demographic reports; exemption

The Department of Health must implement a uniform patient reporting system for hospital inpatient and emergency department services.  Hospitals must report inpatient statistical data to promote cost containment.  Data to be reported for all inpatient services include:

1. The number of confinements;
2. The average length of stay;
3. The average charge per day;
4. The average charge per confinement.

The Department must further categorize these data by 1) discharge diagnoses; 2) groupings of related diagnoses; 3) groupings of related diagnoses with similar confinement periods; or 4) any other similar groups the Department determines. 

Hospital emergency departments must report statistical data to promote cost containment.  Data required to be reported by a hospital emergency department includes:

1.  Date of service;
2. Surgical procedures;
3. Related diagnosis;
4. Charges for services. 

The Department may also require the hospital inpatient and emergency department services to report other clinical and demographic information on patient age, sex, or insurance coverage.

State hospitals are exempt from the reporting requirements.  Data from the period between January 1 – June 30 must be reported on August 15 of that year.  Data from the period between July 1- December 31 must be reported by February 15 of the following year. 

All reports will be open to public inspection at the Department.  The Department must ensure that public access to the information does not breach the confidentiality of privileged medical  information or privileged information about the individual’s work or income.

The Department may further investigate the data submitted to ensure accuracy and completeness of the information.  The Department will bear the cost of further investigation, unless the Department finds that the records are deficient or incorrect, in which case the facility will bear the cost.