BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1059
Author: Huffman (D)
Amended: 9/7/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
PRIOR VOTES NOT RELEVANT
SUBJECT : Emergency Medical Services
SOURCE : California Chapter of the American College of
Emergency
Physicians
DIGEST : This bill requires counties to report on the
collection and distribution of the Maddy Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) Funds to ensure that every dollar is spent
to support the emergency care safety net as required by
current law.
Note:The language in this bill was originally contained in
AB 946, as one part of the Senate Heath Committee
Omnibus Bill. That bill passed off the Senate Floor
39-0, as a consent item, on 6-2-11.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1. Authorizes counties to establish an EMS fund and to
deposit specified penalties, forfeitures, and fines into
the fund to reimburse physicians and hospitals for
losses from providing uncompensated emergency care, and
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for other EMS purposes as determined by each county.
2. Requires each county establishing a Maddy EMS fund to
report to the Legislature on the implementation and
status of the Maddy fund beginning January 1, 1989 and
on each April 15 thereafter. The report must include the
total amount of fines and forfeitures collected, the
total amount of penalty assessments collected, the total
amount of penalty assessments deposited into the Maddy
fund, the fund balance, and the amount of moneys
disbursed under the program to physicians and surgeons,
to hospitals and to other emergency purposes.
This bill requires county Maddy fund reports to include
additional information on the types of funds received,
administrative costs, fee schedules and methodologies for
reimbursing physicians and hospitals, and contact
information for county personnel involved in administration
of the fund, as specified.
Background
Emergency Medical Services Fund provisions . Beginning in
1987, the state enacted a series of bills to compensate
physicians and medical facilities for emergency medical
services provided to patients who do not have health
insurance and cannot pay for their medical care. SB 12
(Maddy), Chapter 1240, Statutes of 1987, allows counties to
establish Maddy EMS funds (also known as Maddy funds).
Revenue sources for Maddy funds are penalty assessments on
certain criminal and traffic violations, and a portion of
the fees from people attending traffic violator schools.
Funds from penalty assessments must be used to reimburse
physicians and hospitals for patients who do not make
payment for EMS services and have no third-party or
government source of payment.
Counties with Maddy funds are required to report specified
information to the Legislature on the status of their
funds. SB 946 requires county Emergency Medical Services
Fund reports to include additional information in these
reports, including:
Reasons for the lack of deposits, if no moneys were
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deposited into the fund;
The amount of funds collected from additional
assessments levied by counties on fines, penalties, or
forfeitures imposed and collected by the courts for
criminal offenses, including violations relating to
the control of alcoholic beverages and violations of
the Vehicle Code;
The amount of money disbursed for actual
administrative costs;
Fee schedules and methodologies for reimbursing
physicians and hospitals;
The amount of moneys available to be disbursed to
hospitals, and the amount of claims submitted by
hospitals, along with the percentage of those claims
that were reimbursed; and
The name and contact information for county
personnel involved in the administration of the fund.
The purpose of these provisions is to provide more
transparency and allow a better understanding of how these
funds are collected and distributed at the local level.
This provision was requested by the California Chapter of
the American College of Emergency Physicians.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/7/11)
California Chapter of the American College of Emergency
Physicians (source)
CTW:nl 9/7/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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