Chapter 29. Health Care System Development Commission.
§ 7–2901. Establishment; purpose.
There is established a Health Care System Development Commission (“Commission”) to develop recommendations and an implementation plan for developing the health care system.
§ 7–2902. Qualifications; membership; terms of office.
(a) The Commission shall consist of 11 members as follows:
(1) There shall be 3 ex-officio voting members as follows:
(A) The Mayor of the District of Columbia (“Mayor”);
(B) The Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia (“Council”); and
(C) The Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Human Services.
(2) There shall be 5 members appointed by the Mayor and 3 members appointed by the Council by resolution.
(A) Appointed members of the Commission shall be persons with proven expertise in health care delivery, finance, insurance, public health, integrated health care delivery systems, or strategic planning.
(B) Appointed members of the Commission shall be residents of the District.
(b) A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the same manner that the original appointment was made.
(c) The Commission shall select a chair from among its ex-officio members.
(d) Six members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum.
(e) The term of members shall end 180 days after October 20, 1999.
§ 7–2903. Compensation.
Members of the Commission shall not receive compensation or reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.
§ 7–2904. Duties.
(a) The Commission shall establish criteria to be used in the development of recommendations. The criteria shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Efficiency and effectiveness of the District’s health care system;
(2) Access to quality health care services;
(3) Consistency with financial plan and budget of the District;
(4) Community impact; and
(5) Economic benefits.
(b) Within 120 days after its initial meeting, the Commission shall develop a set of recommendations for developing the health care system which addresses the following:
(1) Inpatient bed over-capacity;
(2) Distribution of health care services and providers;
(3) The role and the needs of the District of Columbia Public Benefit Corporation;
(4) Maintenance of safety net providers;
(5) Impediments to accessing care beyond the lack of health care insurance;
(6) Fiscal impact of expanding health insurance coverage, including a study of the utilization of available health maintenance organization coverage by the Medicaid eligible population for each year since the advent of Medicaid HMO coverage in the District of Columbia, and the number of medically indigent District residents who have been provided care at area hospitals as compared to the total number of medically indigent persons who have received care in each hospital in each of the past 3 years;
(7) Implementation schedule for developing the health care system; and
(8) Other issues.
(c) The recommendations shall be developed in accordance with the criteria established in this section.
§ 7–2905. Approval of recommendations.
(a) The Mayor shall transmit the recommendations of the Commission to the Council for approval.
(b) The recommendations shall be transmitted to the Council for a 45-day period, excluding days of Council recess. The Council shall take action to approve or disapprove the recommendations. If the Council does not take action within the 45-day period, the recommendations shall be deemed disapproved.
§ 7–2906. Office space and staffing.
(a) The Mayor shall provide sufficient office space, detail staff, and technical and administrative support to assist the Commission in the fulfillment of its duties.
(b) The Commission shall have the authority to request directly from each department, agency, or instrumentality of the District government, and each department, agency, or instrumentality is hereby authorized to furnish directly to the Commission upon its request, any information deemed necessary by the Commission to carry out its functions under this subchapter.
