570: Policies Protect Health Data, Series Serves as Early-Warning System, ASTHO’s 2024 Federal Legislative Agenda

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, December 22, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

LILLIAN COLASURDO: 

This past legislative session, we saw a number of states begin to tackle issues around consumer health data privacy.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Lillian Colasurdo on work to protect consumer data gathered from a growing number of health-related transactions.

COLASURDO: 

So, this is the data that isn't necessarily exchanged between your healthcare provider and your department of health, but the data that's collected by things like third party apps or websites that may include your personal health information. This can be anything from a wearable fitness tracker to a menstrual cycle tracking app that someone might use.

JOHNSON: 

Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, and Washington have passed laws covering data collected by third parties. Kristen Peterson from the Washington State Department of Health says the state's My Health, My Data act took effect in late July.

KRISTIN PETERSON: 

This new law applies to any legal entity that conducts business in Washington or produces or provides products or services that are targeted to consumers. So, a bit broader than the current privacy laws on the books.

JOHNSON: 

Colasurdo says Maryland passed bills impacting health information exchanges.

COLASURDO: 

Maryland passed a few different laws this session that don't focus specifically on their HIE but names them as the required entity for sending data like fentanyl screening results or Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

JOHNSON: 

Data collection and exchange are examined as part of ASTHO's 2024 Legislative Prospectus series. This is the final installment of our interview series that began last Monday, you can listen to leading state health officials discuss each topic on newscasts starting December 11. All you have to do is go back through your podcast player timeline to hear those episodes. You can also read the series using the link in the show notes.

FRASER: 

One of the things I love about it is it just shows how much the variety there is in public health. Any one of these issues is a lot of work a ton of them is a ton of work to address,

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser reacting to the Legislative Prospectus series that he says provides members a handy reference to the hottest public health issues on the agenda in 2024.

FRASER: 

We have an incredible team on our state health policy group and they scan all the databases of legislative language, they talk to legislative liaisons, they listen to what state health officials are talking about, but also what governors are talking about, what our partners and other associations are talking about as it impacts health, and they put all that together to create this incredible list of things that we got to keep our eye on. It's definitely a comprehensive list.

JOHNSON: 

Fraser says the annual series is well received and can serve as an early warning system for agencies that might not have their eyes on a specific issue.

FRASER: 

Anything we can do to help folks anticipate potential hot topics, potential futures, potential opportunities, it really helps them get ready.

JOHNSON: 

Also today, it's time to start thinking about ASTHO's 2024 Federal Legislative agenda. This is ASTHO's Jeffrey Ekoma.

JEFFREY EKOMA: 

Our legislative agenda is organized into tiers to prioritize the things that we spend most of our time on. So, tier one priorities are things that our members have access to play a lead advocacy role in. Tier two priorities are things that we work with members and other partners on and tier three prioritizes the things that we monitor.

JOHNSON: 

Ekoma says the list of issues across all three tiers is comprehensive.

EKOMA: 

Tier one priorities include public health infrastructure, data modernization, social determinants of health, and critical public health preparedness activities. Tier two priorities include things such as research on firearm violence, maternal health, tobacco control, and substance abuse and misuse. Now, tier three include priorities such as reproductive health services, and research to address long COVID.

JOHNSON: 

Rating ASTHO's success with its annual agenda, Ekoma says 2023 was a good year.

EKOMA: 

In the previous years, we have been incredibly successful in implementing items of our legislative agenda in 2023. All items on our agenda were implemented by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, before you head out for the holidays, be sure to join the list to receive ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter. We've added the link to the signup page in today's show notes.

We'd also like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're back Tuesday, January 2, with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. Happy holidays from everyone here at the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. We'll see you next year.

ROBERT JOHNSON: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Friday, December 22, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

LILLIAN COLASURDO: 

This past legislative session, we saw a number of states begin to tackle issues around consumer health data privacy.

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO's Lillian Colasurdo on work to protect consumer data gathered from a growing number of health-related transactions.

COLASURDO: 

So, this is the data that isn't necessarily exchanged between your healthcare provider and your department of health, but the data that's collected by things like third party apps or websites that may include your personal health information. This can be anything from a wearable fitness tracker to a menstrual cycle tracking app that someone might use.

JOHNSON: 

Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, and Washington have passed laws covering data collected by third parties. Kristen Peterson from the Washington State Department of Health says the state's My Health, My Data act took effect in late July.

KRISTIN PETERSON: 

This new law applies to any legal entity that conducts business in Washington or produces or provides products or services that are targeted to consumers. So, a bit broader than the current privacy laws on the books.

JOHNSON: 

Colasurdo says Maryland passed bills impacting health information exchanges.

COLASURDO: 

Maryland passed a few different laws this session that don't focus specifically on their HIE but names them as the required entity for sending data like fentanyl screening results or Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

JOHNSON: 

Data collection and exchange are examined as part of ASTHO's 2024 Legislative Prospectus series. This is the final installment of our interview series that began last Monday, you can listen to leading state health officials discuss each topic on newscasts starting December 11. All you have to do is go back through your podcast player timeline to hear those episodes. You can also read the series using the link in the show notes.

FRASER: 

One of the things I love about it is it just shows how much the variety there is in public health. Any one of these issues is a lot of work a ton of them is a ton of work to address,

JOHNSON: 

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser reacting to the Legislative Prospectus series that he says provides members a handy reference to the hottest public health issues on the agenda in 2024.

FRASER: 

We have an incredible team on our state health policy group and they scan all the databases of legislative language, they talk to legislative liaisons, they listen to what state health officials are talking about, but also what governors are talking about, what our partners and other associations are talking about as it impacts health, and they put all that together to create this incredible list of things that we got to keep our eye on. It's definitely a comprehensive list.

JOHNSON: 

Fraser says the annual series is well received and can serve as an early warning system for agencies that might not have their eyes on a specific issue.

FRASER: 

Anything we can do to help folks anticipate potential hot topics, potential futures, potential opportunities, it really helps them get ready.

JOHNSON: 

Also today, it's time to start thinking about ASTHO's 2024 Federal Legislative agenda. This is ASTHO's Jeffrey Ekoma.

JEFFREY EKOMA: 

Our legislative agenda is organized into tiers to prioritize the things that we spend most of our time on. So, tier one priorities are things that our members have access to play a lead advocacy role in. Tier two priorities are things that we work with members and other partners on and tier three prioritizes the things that we monitor.

JOHNSON: 

Ekoma says the list of issues across all three tiers is comprehensive.

EKOMA: 

Tier one priorities include public health infrastructure, data modernization, social determinants of health, and critical public health preparedness activities. Tier two priorities include things such as research on firearm violence, maternal health, tobacco control, and substance abuse and misuse. Now, tier three include priorities such as reproductive health services, and research to address long COVID.

JOHNSON: 

Rating ASTHO's success with its annual agenda, Ekoma says 2023 was a good year.

EKOMA: 

In the previous years, we have been incredibly successful in implementing items of our legislative agenda in 2023. All items on our agenda were implemented by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

JOHNSON: 

Finally, this morning, before you head out for the holidays, be sure to join the list to receive ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletter. We've added the link to the signup page in today's show notes.

We'd also like to remind you to follow this newscast on your podcast player and ASTHO on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

That'll do it for today. We're back Tuesday, January 2, with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. Happy holidays from everyone here at the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. We'll see you next year.