BOSTON (WHDH) - Health providers and labs that don’t turn over coronvirus data to the state fast enough could be fined $2,000 a day under a new proposal from Gov. Charlie Baker, while elderly housing complexes would not be required to report health data.
Earlier this week, Baker approved a bill that would let state officials collect more data on the virus to study its impact on minorities and other underrepresented groups. But the governor is proposing several updates to that bill, including the potential for hefty fines.
The approved bill requires the Department of Public Health to collect data on coronavirus cases and patient demographics, but does not make it clear how soon that data must be turned over, Baker said. His proposal allows DPH to fine laboratories and health care providers up to $2,000 a day if they don’t comply with data requests.
The bill also exempts elderly housing complexes and rental units — as opposed to elder care facilities and nursing homes, which have access to residents’ health information — from having to report health data. Baker said those complexes were exempted due to concerns over privacy and the quality of data available.
And under Baker’s proposal, DPH will be allowed to aggregate the data for particular factors “if not doing so would violate federal law or the privacy of any individual,” according to the bill’s text.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)