Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how funds will be raised for the Safe Delivery Fund.

Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program

The Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program provides funding to hospitals until January 1, 2030, to help cover costs related to maintaining staff and services for safe deliveries in areas with limited access to maternity care.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program until January 1, 2030, administered by the Department of Health Care Access and Information.
• Requires hospitals to meet certain conditions to qualify for funding from this program, such as serving geographically isolated populations and demonstrating that losing obstetric services would significantly impact access to care.
• Limits how much money any one hospital can receive each year to $5 million.
• Reimburses hospitals quarterly based on the number of deliveries they perform.
• Requires participating hospitals to report data about staffing and service availability to the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

Who It Names or Affects

• Hospitals that meet specific requirements related to serving isolated communities and maintaining obstetric services.
• The Department of Health Care Access and Information, which administers the program.

Terms To Know

Safe Delivery Fund

A fund created by the bill to provide financial support to hospitals for safe delivery services.

Uncompensated standby costs

The expenses a hospital incurs to keep staff and services available even when they are not being used, in case of emergencies or high demand.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the funds for the Safe Delivery Fund will be raised.
• It is unclear what happens after January 1, 2030, when the pilot program ends.

Official Summary Text

AB 1882, as amended, Ellis.
Alcohol and other drug treatment facilities.
Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program.
Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information to oversee and administer various health programs, including, among others, the California Reproductive Health Equity Program. Under existing law, this program provides grant funding to safety net providers of abortion and contraception services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes who would otherwise lack access to care. Existing law establishes the California Reproductive Health Equity Fund, and, within the limits of funds available, authorizes the department to award grants that, in the department’s judgment, best promote the purposes of the program.
This bill would establish the Safe Delivery Fund Pilot Program, until January 1, 2030, which would be administered by the department to provide funding to hospitals to offset uncompensated standby costs associated with maintaining specialty physician coverage, advanced practice provider coverage, and hospital staffing necessary to safely provide deliveries and related inpatient specialty services. The bill would require a hospital to meet specified requirements to qualify for the program, including, among other things, that the hospital can demonstrate that the hospital serves a geographically isolated population and that loss of obstetric services would significantly impact access to maternity care.
This bill would establish the Safe Delivery Fund, and would require moneys in the fund to be available, upon appropriation by
the Legislature, to the department for the purposes of the program. The bill would require the hospital to use the funds from the program for salaries, benefits, insurance, contracted physician compensation, contracted advanced practice provider compensation, or other expenses attributable to maintaining standby clinical capacity. The bill would require the program to reimburse a hospital quarterly based on the number of deliveries performed per day using a specified schedule. The bill would prohibit the department from awarding a hospital more than $5,000,000 per year.
This bill would require a participating hospital, by April 1, 2027, and quarterly thereafter, to submit to the department specified data, including, among other things, maintenance of specialty staffing and service availability. The bill would authorize the department to conduct annual audits or program reviews, as specified. The bill would require a hospital to meet all of the program requirements
for continued participation in the program.
Existing law declares that it is the policy of the state that each county and city permit and encourage the development of sufficient numbers and types of alcohol or other drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities as are commensurate with local need. Existing law requires an alcohol or other drug abuse recovery or treatment facility that serves 6 or fewer persons to be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulation, regardless of whether or not unrelated persons are living together.
This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF