AN ACT relating to an electronic health network for administrative and clinical transactions and declaring an emergency.
     Create new sections of KRS Chapter 11 to declare findings of the General Assembly related to electronic health information; define terms; establish the responsibilities of the board in studying the feasibility of developing a Kentucky e-Health Network using federal and voluntarily contributed funds; require the board to establish certain committees and an advisory group to ensure input into the feasibility study; require the feasibility study to include a business case for various models, including a model with the capability to integrate an electronic Medicaid management information system; authorize the board to oversee the implementation of a model if deemed feasible and the General Assembly concurs; require any model selected to comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; require the board to submit the results of the feasibility study to the Legislative Research Commission upon completion; require the board to oversee the implementation of any feasible model selected by the board; require the board to oversee the development of the network of providers and payors and adopt standards for computer systems communicating with the central part of the network; authorize the board to promulgate administrative regulations; require the board to assume the responsibilities of the Telehealth Board under KRS 11.550; require an annual report to the Governor, Cabinet for Health Services, Office for the New Economy, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, and the Interim Joint Committee on Banking and Insurance; establish a "Ke-HN and Telehealth Fund"; amend KRS 11.550 to reorganize the Telehealth Board as the Kentucky e-Health and Telehealth Board attached to the Governor's Office for Technology; establish the membership of the board; amend KRS 45A.605 to authorize the use of the information highway for transactions and activities associated with the network, but not limit the board to using the information highway for all its communication services; amend KRS 164.6015, 164.6021, 164.6029, 164.6037, and 154.12-274 to encourage the research, development, and funding of an electronic health network; amend KRS 154.12-278 to expand the duties of the Office of the Commissioner for the New Economy to include promoting the development of and securing funds for the Kentucky e-Health Network; retain current members of the Telehealth Board as members of the Kentucky e-Health and Telehealth Board; transfer telehealth funds to the new board; EMERGENCY.

     (Prefiled by the sponsor(s))

     Jan 7-introduced in House; to Health and Welfare (H)
     Feb 14-posted in committee