Attorney general review and analysis of information submitted pursuant to Secs. 8, 9 and 10 and under Sec. 8 of chapter 6D; authority to compel production of documents, answers to interrogatories and testimony; confidentiality

Section 17. The attorney general may review and analyze any information submitted to the center by a provider, provider organization, significant equity investor, health care real estate investment trust, management services organization or payer pursuant to sections 8, 9 and 10 and to the health policy commission under section 8 of chapter 6D. The attorney general may require that such entities produce documents, answer interrogatories and provide testimony under oath related to health care costs and cost trends, factors that contribute to cost growth within the commonwealth's health care system and the relationship between provider costs and payer premium rates. The attorney general shall keep confidential all nonpublic information and documents obtained under this section and shall not disclose the information or documents to any person without the consent of the entity that produced the information or documents; provided, however that the attorney general may disclose such information or documents during: (i) the annual hearing conducted under section 8 of chapter 6D; (ii) a rate hearing before the division of insurance; or (iii) in a case brought by the attorney general, if the attorney general believes that such disclosure will promote the health care cost containment goals of the commonwealth and that the disclosure would be in the public interest after taking into account any privacy, trade secret or anti-competitive considerations. The confidential information and documents shall not be public records and shall be exempt from disclosure under clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4 and section 10 of chapter 66.