135-48.32. Contracts to provide benefits.

(a) The Plan benefits shall be provided under contracts between the Plan and the claims processors selected by the Plan. The contracts necessarily will conform to applicable State law.

(b) Unless otherwise directed by the Plan, each Claims Processor shall provide the Plan with a Claims Data Feed, which includes all Claim Payment Data, at a frequency agreed to by the Plan and the Claims Processor. The frequency shall be no less than monthly. The Claims Processor is not required to disclose Claim Payment Data that reflects rates negotiated with or agreed to by a noncontracted third party but, upon request, shall provide to the Plan sufficient documentation to support the payment of claims for which Claim Payment Data is withheld on such basis.

(c) Any provision of any contract between a Claims Processor and a health care provider, subcontractor, or third party that would prevent or prohibit the Claims Processor from disclosing Claim Payment Data to the Plan, in accordance with this section, shall be void and unenforceable, but only to the extent the provision prevents and prohibits disclosure to the Plan.

(d) The Plan may use and disclose Claim Payment Data solely for the purpose of administering and operating the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees in accordance with G.S. 135-48.2 and the provisions of this Article. The Plan shall not make any use or disclosure of Claim Payment Data that would compromise the proprietary nature of the data or, as applicable, its status as a trade secret, or otherwise misappropriate the data.

(e) The Plan may not use a provider's Claim Payment Data to negotiate rates, fee schedules, or other master charges with that provider or any other provider.

(f) The Plan may disclose Claim Payment Data to a third party to use on the Plan's behalf as agreed upon between the Plan and the Claims Processor. The Plan must obtain the agreement of the Claims Processor for each third party to whom the Plan seeks to disclose Claim Payment Data and for each use the third party will make of the data. The Plan may not disclose Claim Payment Data to any third party without first entering into a contract with the third party that contains restrictions on the use and disclosure of the Claim Payment Data by the third party that are at least as restrictive as the provisions of this section.

(g) A Claims Processor who discloses Claim Payment Data in accordance with this section shall not incur any civil liability and shall not be subject to equitable relief in connection for the disclosure.