Physician recruitment grants.

WORKING DRAFT
2007
STATE OF
WYOMING
07LSO-0609.E1

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0243

Physician recruitment grants.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Lubnau and Hammons and Senator(s) Massie

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to health care services; providing a grant program for physician recruitment; providing for rules and regulations; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 35
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1
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1001 is created to read:

ARTICLE 10
PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT GRANT PROGRAM

35
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1
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1001.

Physician recruitment grant program.

(a)

There is created the
Wyoming
physician recruitment program administered by the department.

(b)

There is created the
Wyoming
physician recruitment account. Funds in the account are continuously appropriated to the department and shall be used to provide grants to hospitals for physician recruitment as provided in this section.

(c)

The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to administer the program. The rules and regulations shall include provisions for:

(i)

Application forms for grants under the program;

(ii)

Criteria for grants under the program. Grants may be provided under the following conditions:

(A)

The physician shall be recruited to the geographic area served by the hospital;

(B)

The physician shall move his medical practice at least twenty-five (25) miles or the physician's new medical practice shall derive at least seventy-five percent (75%) of its revenues from professional services furnished to patients not seen or treated at his prior medical practice during the preceding three (3) years;

(C)

The recruitment conditions between the hospital and the physician shall meet the conditions set forth in 42 C.F.R. 411.357(e), as amended March 1, 2007;

(D)

Recruitment of new physicians shall be based on demonstrable need. Those hospitals demonstrating the greatest need, in the discretion of the department shall be given the highest priority in receiving grants pursuant to this section;

(E)

Recruitment incentives shall not be offered for longer than two (2) years;

(F)

All recruitment incentives shall be in writing and shall be reported on federal income tax forms;

(G)

The recruited physician shall agree to provide medical services in the community to which he was recruited for a period of not less than four (4) years or he shall repay any monies granted under this section to the state of Wyoming plus interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum;

(H)

The recruited physician shall agree to provide medical care for not less than four (4) years in underserved areas of the state and shall accept patients qualified under the Medical Assistance and Services Act, Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act and the child health insurance program who seek medical care which the health care provider is qualified to provide or he shall repay any monies granted under this section to the state of Wyoming plus interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum; and

(J)

Hospitals shall make recruitment contracts equally available to physicians recruited to the geographic area served by the hospital who are independent of the hospital.

(iii)

Criteria for costs that will be reimbursed through grants. Costs reimbursed through grants under the program may include:

(A)

New income guarantees if there exists a cap on total payments;

(B)

Moving expenses and interview expenses;

(C)

Subsidies for malpractice premiums, support personnel and other practice support;

(D)

Forgiveness of student loans provided student loans are not forgiven through any other loan repayment program and the physician guarantees at least four (4) years service in the hospital's service area;

(E)

Signing bonuses.

(iv)

Reporting requirements for grant recipients.

(d)

As used in this section:

(i)

"Department" means the department of health;

(ii)

"Hospital" means a county memorial, rural health care district or special hospital district formed and licensed under the laws of the state;

(iii)

"Physician" means an individual licensed, or eligible to be licensed under the laws of this state to practice medicine;

(iv)

"Program" means the
Wyoming
physician recruitment grant program.

Section 2.

W.S. 35
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1
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240(a) by creating a new paragraph (xxii) is amended to read:

35
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240.

Powers and duties.

(a)

The department of health, through the state health officer, or under his direction and supervision, through the other employees of the department, shall have and exercise the following powers and duties:

(xxii)

Administer the
Wyoming
physician recruitment grant program provided in W.S. 35
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1
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1001.

Section 3.

(a)

There is appropriated seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000.00) from the general fund to the
Wyoming
physician recruitment account created in section 1 of this act for purposes of this act.

(b)

There is appropriated sixty-two thousand dollars ($62,000.00) from the general fund to the department of health to fund one (1) at-will contract employee for purposes of this act.

(c)

The appropriations under this section shall be one-time funding and shall not be included in the department of health's 2009-2010 biennial budget request.

Section 4.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

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HB0243