State Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) testifies in the House Health Policy Committee on May 22, 2024, at the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich., Jan. 28, 2025 — State Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) introduced her first legislation of the new term, House Bill 4037 today with bipartisan support to update Michigan’s health data sharing by implementing a health data utility to aggregate and communicate information. This would also improve the current system of secure medical record sharing among health professionals upon request to enhance patient care coordination and reduce medical errors that arise from lack of information.
“Having easily accessible health data is vital when seeking medical attention and determining matters of public health,” Rogers said. “As a practicing health care professional, I know that implementing a health data utility will ensure threats to public health are more easily identifiable. Health care providers will also have improved access to secure patient medical data, which is vital in an emergency, while still maintaining patient privacy.”
This bill is a reintroduction of House Bill 5283 from the last legislative term, which was part of a two-bill bipartisan package. The bills passed the House with bipartisan support, but later ran out of time during “lame duck.” House Bill 4038, reintroduced by state Rep. Curtis VanderWall (R-Ludington), would utilize the Insurance Provider Act (IPAA) as the funding mechanism to expand data sharing in Michigan.
“These bills would revolutionize the health care system in our state, allowing for improved coordination, treatment and patient care,” Rogers said. “The bipartisan support emphasizes the bills’ importance in protecting public health. I look forward to working with my colleagues to see this legislation across the finish line.”
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