Sec. 281.0517.  INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.  (a)  In this section:
(1)  "Integrated health care system" means a nonprofit corporation established and operated by a district and a medical school to provide or arrange for comprehensive health care services for residents of the district.
(2)  "Provider" means a physician or a provider as defined under Section 843.002, Insurance Code.
(3)  "Medical school" means a medical school governed by Chapter 110, Education Code.
(b)  The El Paso County Hospital District and a medical school may establish and operate an integrated health care system.
(c)  To provide or arrange for comprehensive health care services, an integrated health care system created under this section may:
(1)  own, acquire, lease, or contract for all necessary assets;
(2)  enter into contracts with providers for the provision of health care services directly or indirectly through subcontract;
(3)  provide or enter into a contract with an individual or business entity under which the individual or entity provides necessary management or administrative services for the system and the system's providers;
(4)  enter into a contract or other agreement with a business or governmental entity under which the system is paid to provide health care services;  and
(5)  enter into a fee-for-service, capitated, or risk-sharing health care service arrangement.
(d)  An integrated health care system that recites in its articles of incorporation that it is created under this section is:
(1)  subject to:
(A)  Chapter 551, Government Code;
(B)  Chapter 552, Government Code;
(C)  Chapter 843, Insurance Code;
(D)  Chapter 844, Insurance Code;  and
(E)  Chapter 262, Local Government Code;  and
(2)  a unit of local government for the purposes of Chapter 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(e)  Notwithstanding Subsection (d)(1)(A), an integrated health care system created under this section may hold a closed meeting to deliberate:
(1)  pricing or financial planning relating to a bid or negotiation for a contract to provide a service or product line, if an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the system in the bid or negotiation process;  or
(2)  a proposed new service or product line, if the meeting is held before public announcement of the service or product line.
(f)  Notwithstanding Subsection (d)(1)(B), information relating to the following is confidential and not subject to disclosure:
(1)  pricing or financial planning relating to a bid or negotiation for a contract to provide a service or product line, if disclosure would have a detrimental effect on the position of the integrated health care system in the bid or negotiation process;  or
(2)  a proposed new service or product line, if disclosure is requested before public announcement of the service or product line.
(g)  Subject to the requirements and limitations of the local health care market, an integrated health care system created under this section shall make reasonable efforts to include in its provider group community providers other than the medical school and a hospital of the El Paso County Hospital District.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 947, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 10A.528, 10A.529, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.