MO SB678

Requires hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and long-term care facilities to report serious reportable events to the Department of Health and Senior Services within five working days of discovery, with a completed root cause analysis and prevention plan due within 45 days.

Establishes that approved reportable incidents cannot be used as grounds for licensure deficiency findings unless another similar incident occurs within five years or a pattern of adverse outcomes is identified.

Defines serious reportable events based on the National Quality Forum's March 2002 report and subsequent updates, and requires root cause analyses to focus on systems and processes rather than individual performance.

Prohibits health care facilities from charging patients, third-party payors, or other entities for services related to reportable incidents, and bars providers from billing patients if insurance denies the claim.

Requires the department to publish annual reports on reportable incidents divided into at least three regions (with St. Louis as one region), showing numbers and rates per patient encounter by incident category and facility type.