AN ACT relating to health information and declaring an emergency.
     Create various sections of KRS Chapter 216 to state declarations related to improving the quality of health care and decreasing the cost of health care; define terms; create an Academy for Health Care Improvement and Cost Reduction to be operated jointly by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville; identify responsibilities of the academy, which include conducting research on health information electronic applications, conducting pilot projects, and serving as a forum for the exchange of ideas and consensus-building related to the advancement of health information infrastructure and health care applications; permit the academy to seek federal and private funding; require an annual report to the Governor, secretary of the Cabinet for Health Services, Legislative Research Commission, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, and Interim Joint Committee on Banking and Insurance; create the Kentucky e-Health Network Board to oversee the development, implementation, and operation of a statewide electronic health network of voluntary participants using federal and voluntarily contributed funds; attach the network to the Cabinet for Health Services for administrative purposes; establish the membership of the board and various committees; require the board to appoint an advisory group to ensure input into implementation of the network; require the board to consider various models, including a model with the capability to integrate an electronic Medicaid management information system and public health alert features; require the board to submit the model to be implemented to the Legislative Research Commission; require any transactions to comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; require the board to oversee the development of the network of providers and payors and adopt standards for computer systems communicating with the network; require that geographical locations that are critical to homeland security and protection of energy production be given priority in phasing in the network; authorize the board to promulgate administrative regulations; require an annual report to the Governor, Cabinet for Health Services, Office for the New Economy, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare, and Interim Joint Committee on Banking and Insurance; establish a Ke-HN fund; amend KRS 45A.605 to permit the network to use the "information highway" for transactions, but not to limit the network to the use of the highway to implement its communications; delay the appointment of board members until funds are available for administrative costs of the board; EMERGENCY.

     Feb 10-introduced in House
     Feb 11-to Health and Welfare (H)
     Feb 14-posted in committee