Kentucky legislators approve statewide health network

The bill authorizes the creation of a board to determine how the network will take shape -- and how it might be funded.

By Tyler Chin, AMNews staff. April 4, 2005.

Lawmakers in Kentucky have passed legislation authorizing the creation of a statewide health network that will enable physicians, hospitals, insurers and others to exchange patient information electronically.

The bill, which Gov. Ernie Fletcher, MD, signed into law on March 8, makes Kentucky one of the first states to approve legislation establishing a statewide health network. Other states, including Delaware, Florida and Rhode Island, are currently exploring developing statewide health networks.

The Kentucky Medical Assn. supported the legislation because it hopes a statewide network may help improve care and lower costs, a spokesman said.

The law authorizes the establishment of a board that will oversee the development of Kentucky's network, said Daniel Mongiardo, MD, an otolaryngologist and a state senator who has sponsored the legislation for the past four years.

The board will determine whether the proposed network will take the form of a private entity, public-private entity or a public-utility type of network, Dr. Mongiardo said.

The bill had 16 other sponsors, including Senate President David Williams, a Republican whose support was widely credited with getting the network legislation approved.

State lawmakers have not appropriated funding for the project itself, but might consider the funding issue as early as January 2006, when they start shaping the budget for fiscal years 2007 and 2008.

Kentucky has taken a good step forward but still must clear huge hurdles to realize its goal, some observers say.