Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §8703, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 568, §1, is further amended to read:

2. Board of directors. The organization operates under the supervision of a board of directors, which consists of 18 19 voting members.

A. The Governor shall appoint 16 17 board members in accordance with the following requirements. Appointments by the Governor are not subject to review or confirmation.

(1) Three members must represent consumers. For the purposes of this section, "consumer" means a person who is not affiliated with or employed by a 3rd-party payor, a provider or an association representing those providers or those 3rd-party payors.

(2) Three members must represent employers. One member must be chosen from a list provided by a health management coalition in this State.

(3) Two members must represent 3rd-party payors.

(4) Eight Nine members must represent providers. Two provider members must represent hospitals chosen from a list of at least 5 current hospital representatives provided by the Maine Hospital Association. Two provider members must be physicians or representatives of physicians chosen from a list of at least 5 nominees provided jointly by the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Osteopathic Association. One provider member must be a dentist chosen from a list of at least 3 nominees provided by the Maine Dental Association. One provider member must be a chiropractor chosen from a list provided by a statewide chiropractic association. One provider member must be a pharmacist chosen from a list provided by a statewide pharmacist association.__ The names of pharmacists submitted by the statewide pharmacist association must include only those pharmacists registered and practicing in the State. Two provider members must be representatives of other health care providers, at least one of whom is a current representative of a home health care company.

B. The commissioner shall appoint 2 members who are employees of the department to represent the State's interest in maintaining health data and to ensure that