Bill Text: NJ S1259 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Community Health Service Pilot Initiative Act."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-30 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S1259 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1259-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
"Community Health Service Pilot Initiative Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative in the Department of Health and Senior Services and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Health Service Pilot Initiative Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.
"Community health center" means a federally qualified health center, migrant health center, homeless health center program or other community health center that is designated by the United States Public Health Service or otherwise provides health care services for which it is reimbursed under the Medicaid and Medicare programs.
"Initiative" means the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative established pursuant to this act.
3. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall establish the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The purpose of the initiative shall be to provide health care services, as described in this section, through a pilot community health service site to be established pursuant to this act.
a. The commissioner shall contract with a general hospital, or an entity affiliated with a general hospital, to establish and operate the pilot community health service site on a 24-hour-a-day basis in a community in which a community health center or a community health center service site is not currently located.
b. The pilot community health service site shall be designed to meet the health care needs of persons who are uninsured or underinsured, or are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, in a culturally competent manner. The initiative may charge patients for services, subject to applicable federal limitations and according to a sliding income scale prescribed by the commissioner.
c. The health care services provided at the service site shall include, but not be limited to: comprehensive primary and preventive care, disease screening and control, emergency medical, diagnostic laboratory and radiological, preventive dental, podiatric, optometric and ophthalmic, pharmaceutical, HIV/AIDS, mental health, family planning, substance abuse, health education and confidential testing services, as well as case management of specialty and inpatient services, referrals to other providers of health and social services and transportation, outreach and translation services as necessary.
4. a. The commissioner shall seek to utilize and coordinate the skills of retired health care professionals, who volunteer to provide health care services without charge at the pilot community health service site, in accordance with standards and procedures set forth pursuant to this act.
b. The commissioner shall establish standards and procedures for retired health care professionals to serve as volunteer providers of health care services at the pilot community health service site, including, but not limited to:
(1) standards for accepting volunteers;
(2) requirements for service at the pilot community health service site; and
(3) specific limitations, if warranted, on the scope of care and services that may be provided by a volunteer.
c. The commissioner shall take such actions as are necessary to publicize the initiative among retired health care professionals, and to otherwise encourage and support their participation as volunteer providers of health care services in the initiative.
d. A health care professional volunteer providing health care services at the pilot community health service site, and the general hospital or other entity that operates the pilot community health service site, shall not be liable in an action for damages to any person for any action taken or omission or recommendation made by a volunteer provider of health care services pursuant to this section within the scope of that individual's functions as a volunteer provider of health care services at the pilot community health service site and that individual's professional license or certification, if the action, omission or recommendation does not constitute gross negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct.
5. The commissioner shall seek to obtain such funding as may be available from the federal government, private businesses, foundations and other nongovernmental sources to support the initiative.
6. The commissioner shall report on the initiative to the Governor and the Legislature no later than two years after the date that the pilot community health service site commences operations, and shall include in that report a detailed summary of its activities, an assessment of its cost-effectiveness, and any recommendations that the commissioner desires to make for the extension, expansion, modification or termination of the initiative.
7. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) and in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
8. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after the enactment of this act, but the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The purpose of the initiative is to provide health care services, as described in the bill, through a pilot community health service site to be established pursuant to the bill.
Specifically, the bill provides as follows:
--The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services is required to contract with a general hospital, or an entity affiliated with a general hospital, to establish and operate the pilot community health service site on a 24-hour-a-day basis in a community in which a federally-funded community health center or community health center service site is not currently located.
--The pilot community health service site will be designed to meet the health care needs of persons who are uninsured or underinsured, or are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, in a culturally competent manner. The Community Health Service Pilot Initiative may charge patients for services, subject to applicable federal limitations and according to a sliding income scale prescribed by the commissioner.
--The health care services provided at the service site are to include, but not be limited to: comprehensive primary and preventive care, disease screening and control, emergency medical, diagnostic laboratory and radiological, preventive dental, podiatric, optometric and ophthalmic, pharmaceutical, HIV/AIDS, mental health, family planning, substance abuse, health education and confidential testing services, as well as case management of specialty and inpatient services, referrals to other providers of health and social services and transportation, outreach and translation services as necessary.
--The commissioner is directed to utilize and coordinate the skills of retired health care professionals, who volunteer to provide health care services without charge at the pilot community health service site, in accordance with standards and procedures set forth pursuant to the bill.
--The commissioner is to take such actions as are necessary to publicize the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative among retired health care professionals, and to otherwise encourage and support their participation as volunteer providers of health care services in the initiative.
--A health care professional volunteer providing health care services at the pilot community health service site, and the general hospital or other entity that operates the pilot community health service site, will not be liable in an action for damages to any person for any action taken or omission or recommendation made by a volunteer provider of health care services pursuant to the bill within the scope of that individual's functions as a volunteer provider of health care services at the pilot community health service site and that individual's professional license or certification, if the action, omission or recommendation does not constitute gross negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct.
--The commissioner is to obtain such funding as may be available from the federal government, private businesses, foundations and other nongovernmental sources to support the initiative.
--The commissioner is to report on the Community Health Service Pilot Initiative to the Governor and the Legislature no later than two years after the date that the pilot community health service site commences operations, and to include in that report a detailed summary of its activities, an assessment of its cost-effectiveness, and any recommendations that the commissioner desires to make for the extension, expansion, modification or termination of the initiative.
--The bill takes effect on the 180th day after enactment, but authorizes the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to take anticipatory administrative action in advance as necessary for its implementation.
