standard format as required by the Commission whether by means of a claims
clearinghouse or other method approved by the Commission.

(6) The Commission shall establish reasonable deadlines for the phasing
in of electronic transmittal of claims from those health care practitioners designated
under paragraph (5) of this subsection.

(7) As designated by the Commission, payors of health care services in
Maryland and Medicaid and Medicare shall transmit explanations of benefits and any
other information reasonably related to the medical care data base electronically in a
standard format as required by the Commission whether by means of a claims
clearinghouse or other method approved by the Commission.

(b) The Commission may collect the medical care claims information
submitted to any licensed claims clearinghouse for use in the data base established
under § 19-1507 of this subtitle.

(c) (1) The Commission shall:

(i) On or before January 1, 1994, establish and implement a
system to comparatively evaluate the quality of care outcomes and performance
measurements of health maintenance organization benefit plans and services on an
objective basis; and

(ii) Annually publish the summary findings of the evaluation.

(2) The purpose of a comparable performance measurement system
established under this section is to assist health maintenance organization benefit
plans to improve the quality of care provided by establishing a common set of
performance measurements and disseminating the findings of the performance
measurements to health maintenance organizations and interested parties.

(3) The system, where appropriate, shall solicit performance information
from enrollees of health maintenance organizations.

(4) (i) The Commission shall adopt regulations to establish the system
of evaluation provided under this section.

(ii) Before adopting regulations to implement an evaluation system
under this section, the Commission shall consider any recommendations of the
quality of care subcommittee of the Group Health Association of America and the
National Committee for Quality Assurance.

(5) The Commission may contract with a private, nonprofit entity to
implement the system required under this subsection provided that the entity is not
an insurer.

(D) (1) THE COMMISSION MAY:

(I) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2001, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A
SYSTEM TO COMPARATIVELY EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF CARE OUTCOMES AND
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS OF HOSPITALS AND FREESTANDING AMBULATORY
CARE SURGICAL FACILITIES ON AN OBJECTIVE BASIS; AND