BILL NUMBER: SB 615	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Galgiani

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to amend Section 15459.1 of the Government Code, relating
to health facilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 615, as introduced, Galgiani. Health facility financing.
   The California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act
authorizes the California Health Facilities Financing Authority to
make loans from the continuously appropriated California Health
Facilities Financing Authority Fund to participating health
institutions for financing or refinancing the acquisition,
construction, or remodeling of health facilities. Existing law also
authorizes the authority to issue revenue bonds for certain purposes.
Existing law requires, as a condition of the issuance of revenue
bonds, whether by the authority or any local agency, as specified,
each participating health institution to give reasonable assurance to
the authority that the services of the health facility will be made
available to all persons residing or employed in the area served by
the facility. Existing law requires, as part of its assurances, that
the participating health institution agree to perform specified
actions, including advising each person seeking services at the
participating health institution's facility as to the person's
potential eligibility for Medi-Cal and Medicare benefits or benefits
from other governmental 3rd Party payers.
   This bill would require the participating health institution to
also advise each person seeking services at the participating health
institution's facility as to the person's potential eligibility for
health care coverage by qualified health plans participating in the
California Health Benefit Exchange.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 15459.1 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   15459.1.  As part of its assurance under Section 15459, the
participating health institution shall agree to all of the following
actions:
   (a) To advise each person seeking services at the participating
health institution's facility as to the person's potential
eligibility for Medi-Cal and Medicare benefits  or 
 , benefits from other governmental third-party payers 
, or health care coverage by qualified health plans participating in
the California Health Benefit Exchange created pursuant to Title 22
(commencing with Section   100500)  .
   (b) To make available to the authority and to any interested
person a list of physicians with staff privileges at the
participating health institution's facility, which includes all of
the following:
   (1) Name.
   (2) Specialty.
   (3) Language spoken.
   (4) Whether the physician takes Medi-Cal and Medicare patients.
   (5) Business address and phone number.
   (c) To inform in writing on a periodic basis all practitioners of
the healing arts having staff privileges in the participating health
institution's facility as to the existence of the facility's
community service obligation. The required notice to practitioners
shall contain a statement, as follows:
   "This hospital has agreed to provide a community service and to
accept Medi-Cal and Medicare patients. The administration and
enforcement of this agreement is the responsibility of the California
Health Facilities Financing Authority and this facility."
   (d) To post notices in the following form, which shall be
multilingual where the participating health institution serves a
multilingual community, in appropriate areas within the facility,
including, but not limited to, admissions offices, emergency rooms,
and business offices:
   "This facility has agreed to make its services available to all
persons residing or employed in this area. This facility is
prohibited by law from discriminating against Medi-Cal and Medicare
patients. Should you believe you may be eligible for Medi-Cal or
Medicare, you should contact our business office (or designated
person or office) for assistance in applying. You should also contact
our business office (or designated person or office) if you are in
need of a physician to provide you with services at this facility. If
you believe that you have been refused services at this facility in
violation of the community service obligation you should inform
(designated person or office) and the California Health Facilities
Financing Authority."
   The participating health institution shall provide copies of this
notice for posting to all welfare offices in the county where the
participating health institution's facility is located.
   (e) For all facilities in areas, and of a type, not subject to
Medi-Cal contracting and for all participating health institution
which have negotiated in good faith to obtain a Medi-Cal contract but
were not awarded a contract by the California Medi-Cal Assistance
Commission, the authority shall make modifications to the
requirements contained in this section to reflect the absence of a
Medi-Cal contract. Nothing in this section relieves a hospital of its
obligations under Section 1317 of the Health and Safety Code.