Special Populations
The Senate Health Committee approved AB 774 by Chan (StateNet, Subscription required). The measure was amended to require hospitals to maintain written policies about discount payments and charity care for qualified patients as a condition of hospital licensure. The bill would allow DHS to impose administrative penalties for violating those policies and require hospitals that overcharge patients to reimburse patients or use the funds to treat patients eligible for discounted or no-cost services (Bill text, 6/22). The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee (StateNet, Subscription required).
AB 2340 by Assembly member Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) was amended to require health care providers to use reasonable efforts to contact a spouse or other individual to act as a surrogate if a patient is unable to make health care decisions or name a surrogate. The bill also was amended to permit a supervising health care provider to remove a surrogate decisionmaker under certain conditions (Bill text, 6/22). The bill was rereferred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing scheduled for June 27 was canceled at the author's request (Bill status, 6/28).
The Senate Health Committee approved AB 2560 by Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (StateNet, Subscription required). The legislation was amended to require DHS and the Department of Public Education to collaborate with UC -- if the UC Regents choose to participate -- on the development of a Public School Health Center Program. The program would establish standardized data collection procedures and maintain a database of health services provided by public schools and local education agencies, as well as health centers in California. DHS and UC would be required to track health issues that are unique to school-aged children (Bill text, 6/22). The bill moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee (StateNet, Subscription required).