The board has the power and authority to:

A. enter into contracts necessary or proper to carry out the provisions and purposes of the Provider Service Network Act, including contracts with independent contractors for the performance of the association's administrative functions;

B. sue or be sued;

C. determine and pay the association's obligations, including its obligation to pay claims or to provide alternative health care services to public assistance recipients on behalf of an insolvent or financially troubled provider service network;

D. borrow money to satisfy the association's obligations;

E. assess association members in accordance with the provisions of the Provider Service Network Act and make initial and interim assessments as may be reasonable and necessary for organizational or interim operating expenses. Interim expense assessments shall be credited as offsets against any regular assessments due following the close of the calendar year;

F. recoup expenditures on behalf of an insolvent or financially troubled provider service network from that provider service network or any other available source, including a governmental agency, and be subrogated to that provider service network's rights to payment to the extent of such expenditures;

G. employ or contract with appropriate legal, actuarial, clerical and other personnel as necessary to provide assistance in the operation of the association;

H. conduct periodic audits to assure the general accuracy of the financial data submitted to the association. The board shall cause the association to undergo an annual audit on a calendar-year basis of its financial records and operations by an independent certified public accountant;

I. take all other actions, whether like or unlike the foregoing, necessary or appropriate to carry out the board's or the association's duties;

J. reinsure any or all of the risk of the association; and

K. assess each original and new provider service network an initial administrative fee of five thousand dollars ($5,000) times the number of providers in the provider service network. If a provider service network adds new members to increase the number of providers, then that provider service network shall pay an additional administrative fee of five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each additional provider. An employee of a provider shall not be used in computing the administrative fee due under this subsection.

History: Laws 1997, ch. 107, § 6.