Subd. 1. Account establishment.

LOAN PROGRAM.

An account is established to provide loans to eligible borrowers to assist in financing the installation or support of an interoperable health record system. The system must provide for the interoperable exchange of health care information between the applicant and, at a minimum, a hospital system, pharmacy, and a health care clinic or other physician group.

Subd. 2. Eligibility.

1. (a) "Eligible borrower" means one of the following:

   1. (1) community clinics, as defined under section 145.9268;
   2. (2) hospitals eligible for rural hospital capital improvement grants, as defined in section 144.148;
   3. (3) physician clinics located in a community with a population of less than 50,000 according to United States Census Bureau statistics and outside the seven-county metropolitan area;
   4. (4) nursing facilities licensed under sections 144A.01 to 144A.27; and
   5. (5) other providers of health or health care services approved by the commissioner for which interoperable electronic health record capability would improve quality of care, patient safety, or community health.

2. (b) To be eligible for a loan under this section, the applicant must submit a loan application to the commissioner of health on forms prescribed by the commissioner. The application must include, at a minimum:

   1. (1) the amount of the loan requested and a description of the purpose or project for which the loan proceeds will be used;
   2. (2) a quote from a vendor;
   3. (3) a description of the health care entities and other groups participating in the project;
   4. (4) evidence of financial stability and a demonstrated ability to repay the loan; and
   5. (5) a description of how the system to be financed interconnects or plans in the future to interconnect with other health care entities and provider groups located in the same geographical area.

Subd. 3. Loans.

1. (a) The commissioner of health may make a no interest loan to a provider or provider group who is eligible under subdivision 2 on a first-come, first-served basis provided that the applicant is able to comply with this section. The total accumulative loan principal must not exceed $1,500,000 per loan. The commissioner of health has discretion over the size and number of loans made.
2. (b) The commissioner of health may prescribe forms and establish an application process and, notwithstanding section 16A.1283, may impose a reasonable nonrefundable application fee to cover the cost of administering the loan program. Any application fees imposed and collected under the electronic health records system revolving account and loan program in this section are appropriated to the commissioner of health for the duration of the loan program.
3. (c) The borrower must begin repaying the principal no later than two years from the date of the loan. Loans must be amortized no later than six years from the date of the loan.
4. (d) Repayments must be credited to the account.

Subd. 4. Data classification.

Data collected by the commissioner of health on the application to determine eligibility under subdivision 2 and to monitor borrowers' default risk or collect payments owed under subdivision 3 are (1) private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12 ; and (2) nonpublic data as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 9. The names of borrowers and the amounts of the loans granted are public data.