An Act To Extend the Operation of the Maine Health Data Processing Center and To Amend the Maine Health Data Organization Statutes
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0101
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: PERRY, MARRACHE, JONES, MILLER, BRANNIGAN
Amends: 10 MRSA §683, 22 MRSA §1718, 22 MRSA §8702, 22 MRSA §8712

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAINE LEGISLATU 
FIRST P~GULAR SESSION=2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 101 
H.P.85 
House of Representati ves, January 12, 2009 
An Act To Extend the Operation of the Maine Health Data 
Processing Center and To Amend the Maine Health Data 
Organization Statutes 
(EMERGENCY) 
Submitted by the Maine Health Data Organization pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PERRY of Calais. 
Cosponsored by Senator MARRACHE of Kennebec and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: JONES of Mount Vemon, MILLER of Somerville, Senator: BRANNIGAN of 
Cumberland. 
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Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become 
effective until 90 days after adjoumment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the laws establishing and goveming the Maine Health Data Processing Center 
are scheduled to be repealed September 1, 2009; and 
Whereas, this legislation extends that date until September 1,2015; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the 
meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §683, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 456, §1, is amended to 
read: 
3. Limitation on terms. An elected person may Bet serve as a director for not more than 
years 2 5-year terms in succession and continues to serve until a successor has been 
appointed. 
Sec. 2. 10 MRS A §691, as amended by PL 2005, c. 253, §1, is further amended to 
. read: 
§691. Repeal 
This chapter is repealed September 1, 2,G99 2015. 
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §1718, as amended by PL 2005, c. 391, §1, is repealed and the 
following enacted in its place: 
§1718. Consumer information 
Each hospital or ambulatory surgical center licensed under chapter 405 shall, upon 
request by an individual, provide the charge for any inpatient service or outpatient procedure 
provided by the licensee. For emergency services, the hospital must provide the average 
charges for facility and physician services according to the level of emergency services 
provided by the hospital and based on the time and intensity of services provided. 
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §8702, sub-§5-A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 136, §1, is amended to 
read: 
5-A. Medicare health plan sponsor. "Medicare prescription drug health plan sponsor" 
means a health insurance carrier or other private company authorized by the United States 
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to 
administer Medicare Part C and Part D benefits under a health plan or prescription drug plan. 
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §8702, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2007, c. 136, § 1, is further 
amended to read: 
Page I - 124LR0331(OI)-1 
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8. 
Payor. 
"Payor" means a 3rd-patiy payor, 3rd-party administrator, Medicare 
orescriotion dru2' health plan sponsor, pharn1acy benefits manager or nonlicensed carrier. 
Sec. 6. 22 MRS A §8703, sub-§2, ~, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 653, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by §7, is amended to read: 
B. The commissioner shall appoint 2 members one member who are employees is an 
employee of the department to represent the State's interest in maintaining health data and 
to ensure that information collected is available for determining public health policy. 
Sec. 7. 22 MRS A §8703, sub-§2, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
D. The Superintendent of Insurance shall appoint one member who is an employee of the 
Bureau of Insurance to represent the State's interest in maintaining accurate and complete 
health care-related claims data. 
Sec. 8. 22 MRSA §8712, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 391, §2, is repealed and 
the following enacted in its place: 
2. Payments. The organization shall create a publicly accessible interactive website that 
presents reports related to health care facility and practitioner payments for services rendered 
to residents of the State. The services presented must include, but not be limited to, imaging, 
preventative health, radiology and surgical services and other services that are predominantly 
elective and may be provided to a large number of patients who do not have health insurance 
or are underinsured. 
The website must also be constructed to display prices paid by 
individual commercial health insurance companies, 3rd-party administrators and, unless 
prohibited by federal law, governmental payors. 
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
TIns bill extends the operation of the Maine Health Data Processing Center to September 
I, 2015 and increases the length of time individuals may serve on the center's board of 
directors. TIns bill also repeals the requirement for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers 
to maintain lists of average charges for procedures specified by the Maine Health Data 
Organization through rulemaking. In place of the lists, individual hospitals and surgical 
centers shall, upon request from an individual, provide the charge for any service rendered by 
the facility. In addition, the bill requires the Maine Health Data Organization to create an 
interactive website displaying prices paid for specific procedures performed at all Maine 
hospitals and impacted surgical, diagnostic or other nonhospital facilities. Additionally, this 
bill makes some minor modifications to definitions in the statutes governing the Maine Health 
Data Organization and adds a representative from the Bureau of Insurance to the Maine 
Health Data Organization board of directors.