2005 California Health and Safety Code Sections 127630-127634 CHAPTER 5. SPECIALTY CARE UNDERSERVED AREAS

127630.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) In various areas of the state, including many rural areas,
there is a severe shortage in the availability of specialty care.
   (2) This shortage of specialty care is especially burdensome on
low-income persons who lack the resources to avail themselves of the
limited care that is available.  Many of these persons are children
who are seriously and chronically ill.
   (3) Access to medical specialty care has declined steadily over
the past 10 years as the ratio of physicians to the population in
California has dropped below the national average.
   (4) The Health Rights Hotline reports that approximately 10
percent of their calls are from patients reporting problems with
specialty care, with some of the issues being the inability to find
specialists and the long delays for appointments if specialists are
found.  These problems are particularly serious for children.
   (5) The federal Health Resources and Services Administration has
declared that there is a looming health care crisis in America, and
that workforce shortages limit access to care.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a program to
bring specialists to patients who are in need of specialty care by
subsidizing, through private funding, the cost of services, such as
transportation and other costs related to the provision of that care.
   (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that private gifts and
grants be used for purposes of funding this chapter.
127631.  The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in
consultation with the State Department of Health Services, shall
establish a program under which funds would be provided to defray the
cost of care provided by pediatric and adult specialty care
providers in underserved areas to low-income persons.  Care provided
with funding under this part shall be consistent with current
standards of practice for persons eligible for programs specified in
Section 127633.
127632.  (a) In cooperation with interested provider organizations,
the office shall solicit, on a statewide basis, pediatric and adult
specialty care providers to participate in this program on a
voluntary basis.
   (b) The office shall keep a registry of all pediatric and adult
specialty care providers who agree to provide care to low-income
persons in underserved areas.
127633.  (a) To the extent that funding is available pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 127634, the office shall reimburse any
participating out-of-area provider for the cost of care rendered to
low-income persons in underserved areas.  The cost of care shall
include all costs related to the provision of that care not fully
reimbursed by the patient or by a responsible third party that
includes, but is not limited to, private health insurance, the
Medi-Cal program, the Child Health and Disability Prevention program,
California Children's Services, and the Healthy Families Program.
These costs shall include transportation, facility costs, medical
supplies, appliances, and equipment.  These costs shall not include
compensation for the professional services delivered by a
participating provider.
   (b) The office and the department shall be reimbursed from the
Specialty Care Fund for costs incurred in implementing this chapter.
127634.  (a) The Specialty Care Fund is hereby created in the State
Treasury.  Moneys in the fund shall be available for allocation upon
appropriation by the Legislature.
   (b) The fund shall be composed of all private gifts or grants made
for purposes of this chapter, and any interest earned on any moneys
deposited in the fund.
   (c) The office shall contract with a private nonprofit entity that
shall actively solicit private sources in order to acquire gifts and
grants for the purpose of funding this chapter.
   (d) This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2007, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2007, deletes or extends
that date.