Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The sixth paragraph of section 70E of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out clauses (g) and (h) and inserting in place thereof the following three clauses:-

(g) upon request to receive an itemized bill including third party reimbursements paid toward said bill, regardless of the sources of payment;

(h) in the case of a patient suffering from any form of breast cancer, to complete information on all alternative treatments which are medically viable; and

(i) in the case of a maternity patient, at the time of pre-admission, to complete information from an admitting hospital on its annual rate of primary caesarian sections; annual rate of repeat caesarian sections; the annual percentage of women who have had a caesarian section who have had a subsequent successful vaginal birth; the annual percentage of deliveries in birthing rooms and labor-delivery-recovery-rooms; the annual percentage which were externally monitored only; the annual percentage which were internally monitored only; the annual percentage utilizing inductions, epidurals and general anesthesia; and the annual percentage of women breast-feeding upon discharge from said hospital.

SECTION 2. Data required by the provisions of section one of this act which is reported in the most recent Annual Hospital Statistical Report to the department of public health shall be made available to patients ninety days after the enactment of this legislation. Data required by this act which is not currently reported shall be made available to patients as of January thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven.