AB 2304, as introduced, Logue. Private nonprofit hospitals: community benefits.
Existing law requires private not-for-profit hospitals to, among other things, adopt and update a community benefits plan for providing community benefits either alone, in conjunction with other health care providers, or through other organizational arrangements. Existing law makes certain findings and declarations regarding the social obligation of private not-for-profit hospitals to provide community benefits in the public interest.
This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those findings and declarations.
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
5communitiesbegin delete through the provision ofend deletebegin insert by providingend insert essential health
P2 1care and other services. Public recognition of their unique status
2has led to favorable tax treatment by the government. In exchange,
3nonprofit hospitals assume a social obligation to provide
4community benefits in the public interest.
5(b) Hospitals and the environment in which they operate have
6undergone
dramatic changes. The pace of change will accelerate
7in response to health care reform. In light of this, significant public
8benefit would be derived if private not-for-profit hospitals reviewed
9and reaffirmed periodically their commitment to assist in meeting
10their communities’ health care needs by identifying and
11documenting benefits provided to the communities which they
12serve.
13(c) California’s private not-for-profit hospitals provide a wide
14range of benefits to their communities in addition to those reflected
15in the financial data reported to the state.
16(d) Unreported community benefits that are often provided but
17not otherwise reported include, but are not limited to, all of the
18following:
19(1) Community-oriented wellness and health promotion.
20(2)
Prevention services, including, but not limited to, health
21screening, immunizations, school examinations, and disease
22counseling and education.
23(3) Adult day care.
24(4) Child care.
25(5) Medical research.
26(6) Medical education.
27(7) Nursing and other professional training.
28(8) Home-delivered meals to the homebound.
29(9) Sponsorship of free food, shelter, and clothing to the
30homeless.
31(10) Outreach clinics in socioeconomically depressed areas.
32(e) Direct provision of goods and services, as well as preventive
33programs, should be emphasized by hospitals in the development
34of community benefit plans.
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