BILL NUMBER: SB 1277	CHAPTERED  09/22/06

	CHAPTER  398
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 23, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 21, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 15, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 7, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 5, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 16, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Alquist

                        FEBRUARY 10, 2006

   An act to amend Section 16953.3 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to health care.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1277, Alquist  Emergency services and care: reimbursement.
   Existing law, the Emergency Medical Services System and
Prehospital Emergency Medical Care Personnel Act (EMS Act),
establishes the Emergency Medical Services Authority within the
California Health and Human Services Agency to provide statewide
coordination of local county EMS programs.
   Existing law authorizes a county to establish an emergency medical
services fund for reimbursement of EMS related costs, and requires
each county to establish within its emergency medical services fund
various accounts into which each county is required to deposit funds
appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of these accounts,
including a Physician Services Account and Hospital Services Account.
Existing law authorizes a county to allow the State Department of
Health Services to administer the county's emergency medical services
fund if the county also elects to have the department administer its
medically indigent services program.
   Existing law requires a county to adopt a fee schedule to
establish a uniform, reasonable, level of reimbursement from the
Physician Services Account for reimbursable services provided
pursuant to the medically indigent services program.
   This bill would require the State Department of Health Services to
adopt a single fee schedule to establish a uniform, reasonable,
level of reimbursement for use when a county contracts with the state
for the administration of the Physician Services Account and the
Hospital Services Account. This bill would permit the department to
develop, contract for the development of, or adopt by reference, the
required fee schedule, and would permit the department to be
reimbursed for development or adoption of the fee schedule, as
specified. This bill would also permit the department to implement
the provisions of the bill by provider bulletins or similar
instruction.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 16953.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   16953.3.  (a) Notwithstanding any other restrictions on
reimbursement, a county shall adopt a fee schedule to establish a
uniform, reasonable level of reimbursement from the Physician
Services Account for reimbursable services.
   (b) (1) Notwithstanding any other restrictions on reimbursement,
the State Department of Health Services shall adopt a single fee
schedule to establish a uniform, reasonable level of reimbursement
for use in the physician services reimbursement programs operated by
the department pursuant to contract, as provided for in subdivision
(c) of Section 16952.
   (2) The State Department of Health Services may develop, contract
for the development of, or adopt by reference, the fee schedule
required by paragraph (1).
   (3) Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16952, the State
Department of Health Services may be reimbursed by the Physician
Services Account and the Hospital Services Account based on actual
administrative costs to develop or adopt the fee schedule required by
paragraph (1), not to exceed 10 percent of the amount of the
account.
   (4) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of
Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the
department may implement this subdivision by means of provider
bulletins, or similar instruction, without taking formal regulatory
action.