BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 972
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 972 (Butler and Beall)
As Amended April 13, 2011
Majority vote
HEALTH 17-1 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Monning, Logue, Ammiano, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Atkins, Bonilla, Eng, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Garrick, Gordon, Hayashi, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| |Bonnie Lowenthal, | |Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| |Mitchell, Nestande, Pan, | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| |V. Manuel P�rez, Silva, | |Solorio, Wagner |
| |Williams | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Smyth | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Adds facilities that provide limited medical services,
as specified, to adults recovering from alcohol and drug abuse
to the definition of treatment facilities licensed by the
Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (DADP). Specifically,
this bill :
1)Specifies that an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or
treatment facility licensed by DADP includes a facility that
provides limited medical services, as defined, exclusively to
residents of the facility for the purpose of assisting in
detoxification and recovery and that is accredited by a
nationally recognized accrediting organization.
2)Limits the medical services provided in 1) above to the
following activities:
a) Medical evaluation, psychiatric counseling, and
prescription of medications for assistance with
detoxification;
b) Additional psychiatric evaluation and counseling, if
necessary;
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c) Prescribing and monitoring medications, including public
health inoculations;
d) Obtaining medical histories and routine examinations for
general oversight of the medical condition of residents
within the facility; and,
e) Routine, noninvasive testing, including drawing blood
samples for laboratory examination and testing offsite.
3)Prohibits the provisions of this bill from being construed to
allow the state or a local governmental entity to require
medical services to be provided within a facility as a
condition of licensure, funding, or other regulatory
supervision.
4)Sunsets the provisions of this bill on January 1, 2017.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, on previous similar legislation, DADP estimated
General Fund costs of $125,000 in the first year and $250,000 in
the following year, and continuing.
COMMENTS : The sponsors of this bill, the California Society of
Addiction Medicine and CRC Health Group, Inc., state that it is
intended to ensure that California's physicians maintain their
vital role in providing medical services to individuals
overcoming addiction. The sponsors assert that modern addiction
treatment involves medical care and allowing physicians to
provide onsite medical supervision of the residents at a DADP
licensed facility is far more cost efficient than taking clients
back and forth to a clinic or hospital. They also assert that,
in the rare case where a higher level of care is required, the
resident can be transported to a health care facility if
necessary. The sponsors note that this bill is intended to
enhance the continuum of care provided to individuals seeking
addiction treatment by updating the existing definition of a
residential treatment facility to include those facilities that
allow physicians to provide a limited scope of medical services
to residents.
DADP licenses residential treatment facilities to provide
nonmedical services to individuals who are working to overcome
their addiction to alcohol or other drugs. According to DADP,
these services include education, group, or individual sessions;
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recovery or treatment planning; and, detoxification services.
In addition, a licensed treatment facility may offer
individualized services, such as vocational and employment
search training, community volunteer opportunities, new skills
training, peer support, social and recreational activities, and
information about and referral to appropriate community
services. This bill would permit DADP to extend its licensing
authority to facilities with physicians on site to provide a
limited number of medical services to assist residents in their
detoxification and recovery from substance abuse.
DADP indicates that since current law only authorizes it to
license nonmedical services, many larger licensed facilities
enter into contracting arrangements with physicians to provide
medical services on-site, such as treatment of medical symptoms
associated with addiction, including post withdrawal
hypertension, seizure prevention, and impaired liver function.
This bill would enable DADP to license treatment facilities with
programs that include physicians on the premises to provide
medical assistance with detoxification, psychiatric evaluation
and counseling, medication prescribing and monitoring, and
general oversight of the medical condition of clients residing
in the facility.
Supporters, representing treatment facility operators,
providers, and consumers, state that this bill updates existing
law to ensure that physicians retain their ability to
participate in the full range of treatment for Californians with
addictions. They write that medical services are particularly
important during the early stages of detoxification and
providing a limited level of medical care conforms to scientific
research about recovery. Lastly, supporters add that this bill
promotes more thorough care in California's substance abuse
treatment facilities while saving money by preventing
unnecessary hospital stays.
Analysis Prepared by : Cassie Royce / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0001000
AB 972
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