AB 2849, as introduced, Gomez. Hospitals.
Existing law requires hospitals to annually adopt and update a community benefits plan, as defined. Existing law makes findings with respect to the community benefits provided by not-for-profit hospitals.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 127340 of the Health and Safety Code
2 is amended to read:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
4(a) Private not-for-profit hospitals meet certain needs of their
5communities through the provision of essential health care and
6other services. Public recognition of their unique status has led to
7favorable tax treatment by the government. In exchange,begin delete nonprofitend delete
8begin insert not-for-profitend insert hospitals assume a social obligation to provide
9community benefits in the public interest.
P2 1(b) Hospitals and the environment in which they operate have
2undergone
dramatic changes. The pace of change will accelerate
3in response to health care reform. In light of this, significant public
4benefit would be derived if private not-for-profit hospitals
5begin insert periodicallyend insert reviewed and reaffirmedbegin delete periodicallyend delete their
6commitment to assist in meeting their communities’ health care
7needs by identifying and documenting benefits provided to the
8communities which they serve.
9(c) California’s private not-for-profit hospitals provide a wide
10range of benefits to their communities in addition to those reflected
11in the financial data reported to the state.
12(d) Unreported community benefits that are oftenbegin delete providedend delete
13begin insert
provided,end insert but not otherwisebegin delete reportedend deletebegin insert reported,end insert include, but are not
14limited to, all of the following:
15(1) Community-oriented wellness and health promotion.
16(2) Prevention services, including, but not limited to, health
17screening, immunizations, school examinations, and disease
18counseling and education.
19(3) Adult day care.
20(4) Child care.
21(5) Medical research.
22(6) Medical education.
23(7) Nursing and other professional training.
24(8) Home-delivered meals to the homebound.
25(9) Sponsorship of free food, shelter, and clothing to the
26homeless.
27(10) Outreach clinics in socioeconomically depressed areas.
28(e) Direct provision of goods and services, as well as preventive
29programs, should be emphasized by hospitals in the development
30of community benefit plans.
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