West Virginia Code 16-1A-8 – Release and uses of information collected; confidentiality
(a) Upon execution of a release by the health care practitioner, the statewide credentialing verification organization shall, under terms established in rule, provide the credentialing entity with electronic access to data generated.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-1A-8
- board: means a board of health serving one or more counties or one or more municipalities or a combination thereof. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
- Commissioner: means the commissioner of the bureau, who may be designated as the state health officer. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Secretary: means the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources: Provided, That beginning January 1, 2024, as used in this chapter, "secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Health. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(b) In order to assure that information in its files is current, the statewide credentialing verification organization shall establish processes to update information as required by credentialing entities.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, all information collected by the statewide credentialing verification organization from any source is confidential in nature, is exempt from disclosure pursuant to subpoena or discovery, is exempt from disclosure under the provisions of article one, chapter twenty-nine-b of this code, and shall be used solely by a credentialing entity to review the professional background, competency and qualifications of each health care practitioner applying to be credentialed.
(d) Credentialing information received by a credentialing entity from the statewide credentialing verification organization shall not be disclosed except:
(1) In appeals of credentialing decisions or to peer review and quality improvement committees: Provided, That such information shall be afforded the same protection from disclosure as is provided to other records used in proceedings subject to section three, article three-c, chapter thirty of this code;
(2) In any matter in which an action or order of a professional licensing board or other state or federal regulatory authority is at issue, including any proceeding brought by or on behalf of a health care practitioner or patient or by a regulatory body that challenges the actions, omissions or conduct of a credentialing entity with respect to credentialing decision; or
(3) When authorized by the health care practitioner to whom the credentialing information relates: Provided, That the health care practitioner's authorization shall only permit disclosure of information that he or she provided directly to the statewide credentialing verification organization.
(e) Upon the expiration of the contract with a statewide credentialing verification organization, all information collected in connection with the duties under such contract shall be delivered to the Secretary and Insurance Commissioner to the extent allowed by law and subject to any legal requirements applicable to the sources of such information.
(f) The statewide credentialing verification organization may enter into contractual agreements to define the data type and form of information to be provided to users and to give users assurances of the integrity of the information collected.