V.T.C.A. Health and Safety Code § 108.009

Data submission and collection

The Texas Health Care Information Council is authorized to collect the data that providers are required to submit to the Council or other entity as required by this law.  The data must be collected according to uniform data submission formats.  Rural providers may submit information required under his law, but are not required to do so.   Certain hospitals, such as tax-exempt or those providing uncompensated care, may also submit information, but are not required to do so.   The Council may not collect data from individual physicians or entity composed entirely of physicians and is a limited liability partnership or limited liability company, except if the organization owns and operates the facility within the state.  The Department of Health must be the single collection point for all data that is submitted by providers.  The Council may not require data submission more than once per quarter unless a provider submits data more frequently. 

The Council must coordinate data collection with data collection formats used by federally qualified health centers.  In order to fulfill this requirement, a federally qualified health center must submit a copy of its Medicaid cost report to the Council annually, and a provider receiving federal funds must submit to the Council annually, a copy of the Bureau of Common Reporting Requirements data report developed by the United States Public Health Service.  The Council must also coordinate data collection with data submission formats used by hospitals and other providers. 

The Council must collect health care data elements related to payer type, racial and ethnic background of patients, and use of health care services by consumers.  Data collection efforts must be focused on inpatient and outpatient surgical and radiological procedures from hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and free-standing radiological centers. 

A provider of a health benefit plan must annually submit to the Council aggregate data by service area as required by the NCQA’s HEDIS.