(a) The state, acting by and through the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in collaboration with the Health Information Technology Officer designated under section 19a-755, and the Lieutenant Governor, shall establish a program to expedite the development of the State-wide Health Information Exchange, established under section 17b-59d, to assist the state, health care providers, insurance carriers, physicians and all stakeholders in empowering consumers to make effective health care decisions, promote patient-centered care, improve the quality, safety and value of health care, reduce waste and duplication of services, support clinical decision-making, keep confidential health information secure and make progress toward the state’s public health goals. The purposes of the program shall be to (1) assist the State-wide Health Information Exchange in establishing and maintaining itself as a neutral and trusted entity that serves the public good for the benefit of all Connecticut residents, including, but not limited to, Connecticut health care consumers and Connecticut health care providers and carriers, (2) perform, on behalf of the state, the role of intermediary between public and private stakeholders and customers of the State-wide Health Information Exchange, and (3) fulfill the responsibilities of the Office of Health Strategy, as described in section 19a-754a.

(b) The Health Information Technology Officer shall design, and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in collaboration with said officer, may establish or incorporate an entity to implement the program established under subsection (a) of this section. Such entity shall, without limitation, be owned and governed, in whole or in part, by a party or parties other than the state and may be organized as a nonprofit entity.

(c) Any entity established or incorporated pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall have its powers vested in and exercised by a board of directors. The board of directors shall be comprised of the following members who shall each serve for a term of two years:

(1) One member who shall have expertise as an advocate for consumers of health care, appointed by the Governor;

(2) One member who shall have expertise as a clinical medical doctor, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

(3) One member who shall have expertise in the area of hospital administration, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) One member who shall have expertise in the area of corporate law or finance, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

(5) One member who shall have expertise in group health insurance coverage, appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

(6) The Chief Information Officer, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the Health Information Technology Officer, or their designees, who shall serve as ex-officio, voting members of the board; and

(7) The Health Information Technology Officer, or his or her designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the board.

(d) All initial appointments shall be made not later than February 1, 2018. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority for the balance of the unexpired term. If an appointing authority fails to make an initial appointment on or before sixty days after the establishment of such entity, or to fill a vacancy in an appointment on or before sixty days after the date of such vacancy, the Governor shall make such appointment or fill such vacancy.

(e) The entity established under subsection (c) of this section may (1) employ a staff and fix their duties, qualifications and compensation; (2) solicit, receive and accept aid or contributions, including money, property, labor and other things of value from any source; (3) receive, and manage on behalf of the state, funding from the federal government, other public sources or private sources to cover costs associated with the planning, implementation and administration of the State-wide Health Information Exchange; (4) collect and remit fees set by the Health Information Technology Officer charged to persons or entities for access to or interaction with said exchange; (5) retain outside consultants and technical experts; (6) maintain an office in the state at such place or places as such entity may designate; (7) procure insurance against loss in connection with such entity’s property and other assets in such amounts and from such insurers as such entity deems desirable; (8) sue and be sued and plead and be impleaded; (9) borrow money for the purpose of obtaining working capital; and (10) subject to the powers, purposes and restrictions of sections 17b-59a, 17b-59d, 17b-59f and 19a-755, do all acts and things necessary and convenient to carry out the purposes of this section and section 19a-754a.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 128.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 effective October 31, 2017.