Health care provider loan repayments.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL SENATE

FILE

NO.
0047

ENROLLED ACT NO. 25, SENATE

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2006 BUDGET SESSION

AN ACT relating to health care providers; removing the requirement that the department of health, in administering loan repayment programs for physicians, dentists and allied health care providers, consult with the department advisory council; requiring the department to consult with licensing boards and professional associations, as specified; removing a restriction on eligible physician and dentist loans to post-undergraduate loans; authorizing loan reimbursement for speech language pathologists; removing a local matching funds requirement for allied health care provider loan reimbursements; providing priority for Wyoming graduates in loan reimbursement agreements; providing appropriations; authorizing an additional position; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
118(a)(ii) and (b) and 9
‑
2
‑
119(a)(intro), (ii), (b) and by creating a new subsection (e) are amended to read:

9
‑
2
‑
118.

Physician and dentist loan repayment program.

(a)

The department is authorized to enter into agreements with physicians and dentists who have graduated from accredited residency programs to provide health care in this state. The agreements shall:

(ii)

Provide that the physician or dentist shall be repaid up to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of outstanding educational loans the physician or dentist has acquired
after completing undergraduate programs and
as a direct result of medical or dental school training, not to exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00) per year, including the matching funds specified in subsection (d) of this section, in exchange for practicing his profession under the terms of this section;

(b)

The department, in consultation with the
departmental advisory council
appropriate licensing board and professional association
, shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. In carrying out this section the department shall assess health care needs of the state by geographic areas and practice specialties and shall prioritize and enter into agreements under this section accordingly.

9
‑
2
‑
119.

Allied health care provider loan repayment program.

(a)

The department is authorized to enter into agreements with health care providers licensed or certified to provide health care services in this state including, but not limited to, hospital, medical, surgical, dental, vision, nursing, radiology, mental health
, speech language pathology
and pharmaceutical services. The agreements shall:

(ii)

Provide that the health care provider shall be repaid up to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of outstanding educational loans the provider has acquired as a result of educational training directly related to providing medical services, not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per year,
including the matching funds specified in subsection (d) of this section,
in exchange for practicing under the terms of this section;

(b)

The department, in consultation with the
departmental advisory council
appropriate licensing board and professional association
, shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. In carrying out this section the department shall assess health care needs of the state by geographic areas and particular health care services required and shall prioritize and enter into agreements under this section accordingly.

(e)

In selecting health care providers for agreements pursuant to this section, the department shall give priority when practical to qualified graduates of the
University
of
Wyoming
or a
Wyoming
community college.

Section 2.
W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
119(d) is repealed.

Section 3.

(a)

Three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) is appropriated from the budget reserve account to the department of health for loan repayments pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
118.

(b)

Two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) is appropriated from the budget reserve account to the department of health for loan repayments pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
119.

(c)

Ninety-three thousand dollars ($93,000.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the department of health and one (1) additional part-time position is authorized for the purpose of administering the physician and health care provider loan repayment programs pursuant to W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
118 and 9
‑
2
‑
119.

Section 4.

This act is effective July 1, 2006.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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