New Laws Governing Health Care Issues Take Effect in California

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

New Laws Governing Health Care Issues Take Effect in
California

 

Source: The California Healthline (http://www.californiahealthline.org)

Date: Monday, January 05, 2009

 

 

On Jan.1, various health care-related laws took effect in
California. Select bills are highlighted below.

Privacy Oversight



-SB 541 by Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) and AB 211 by
Assembly member Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) will create a new state oversight
privacy office that will be charged with investigating and placing tougher
penalties on hospital workers who access patients' medical records without
authorization.  



Health Insurers




-A new law requires insurers to permit family members of a
policy holder whose coverage has been canceled to keep their coverage. 

-Another law bars insurers from refusing to pay the medical
bills of members injured while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

-In addition, a new law requires insurers to cover HIV screenings
(McGreevy, Los Angeles Times, 12/31/08). 


Hospital Infection Control


-SB 1058, also by Alquist, requires hospitals to screen
certain high-risk patients for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and
report their infection rates to the state. Beginning in 2011, the information
will be accessible to the public on a state Web site. 

-SB 158 by Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) gives the state
additional authority to look into infection outbreaks and complaints about lax
infection control practices. The law also requires hospitals to provide
education and training opportunities for workers (Rojas, Sacramento Bee,
12/27/08). 


End-of-Life Care


-Doctors who treat terminally ill patients will be required
to inform them on all end-of-life options, including hospice care and the right
to refuse treatment. 


Emergency Response


-California's Emergency Medical Services Authority will be
required to set up and maintain a statewide registry of the status of emergency
medical technician licenses. In addition, beginning July, 1, 2010, all EMTs
will have to undergo criminal background checks. 

-People who use 911 lines for non-emergency calls will
receive a warning on the first offense, followed by a $50 fine for the second
offense and a $100 fine for the third (Los Angeles Times, 12/31/08). 


Broadcast Coverage


Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on new
health care laws taking effect (Weiss, "KXJZ News," Capital Public
Radio, 1/2).

 

For more information, please visit: http://www.californiahealthline.org/Articles/2009/1/5/New-Laws-Governing-Health-Care-Issues-Take-Effect-in-California.aspx#

 



Abid Mogannam &
Brian Potts MD, MBA
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service
University of California, Irvine

The CAL/AAEM Archives are available at: http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/calaaem/

CAL/AAEM, a nonprofit professional organization for emergency physicians, operates the CAL/AAEM News Service solely as an educational resource for physicians. Dissemination of an article by CAL/AAEM News Service does not imply endorsement, agreement, or recommendation by CAL/AAEM News Service, CAL/AAEM, or AAEM.  


      
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