Technology

Senate Bill 39 requires Michigan's medical assistance program to provide coverage for remote ultrasound procedures and fetal nonstress tests. This allows patients to receive these services in their residence or other off-site locations through telemedicine. The bill mandates the department to update reimbursement rules for fee-for-service and managed care plans, enabling payment for these remote services using established CPT codes when the same standard of care is met. Reimbursement for these remote services is contingent on using HIPAA-compliant, FDA-approved digital technology for data transmission and FDA-cleared monitoring solutions for at-home use.

SB 24 amends Michigan's Juvenile Diversion Act to allow researchers to access certain juvenile justice records for research purposes, while strictly protecting minors' privacy. It requires researchers to obtain a data use agreement with the state court administrative office, which must include safeguards against public disclosure of personally identifiable information like names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. The bill prohibits using these records for any purpose other than research, with violations punishable by fines or up to 180 days in jail. This directly affects researchers, courts, and the state court administrative office, ensuring research access does not compromise minor confidentiality or interfere with diversion decisions.