Senate Bill No. 338–Senator Mathews

 

March 14, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing charges for services provided by certain hospitals that are designated as centers for treatment of trauma. (BDR 40‑1028)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to health care; requiring certain hospitals that are designated as centers for the treatment of trauma to charge the billed charges of the hospital for the trauma services provided by the hospital; prohibiting a hospital from indemnifying or providing other relief from the payment of those charges; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 450B.237 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    450B.237  1.  The state board of health shall establish a program for

1-3  treating persons who require treatment for trauma and for transporting and

1-4  admitting such persons to centers for the treatment of trauma. The program

1-5  must provide for the development, operation and maintenance of a system

1-6  of communication to be used in transporting such persons to the

1-7  appropriate centers.

1-8    2.  The state board of health shall adopt regulations which establish the

1-9  standards for the designation of hospitals as centers for the treatment of

1-10  trauma. The state board of health shall consider the standards adopted by

1-11  the American College of Surgeons for a center for the treatment of trauma

1-12  as a guide for [such] the regulations. The administrator of the health

1-13  division shall not approve a proposal to designate a hospital as a center for

1-14  the treatment of trauma unless the hospital meets the standards.

1-15    3.  Upon approval by the administrator of the health division of a

1-16  proposal to designate a hospital as a center for the treatment of trauma, he

1-17  shall issue a written approval [which designates] designating the hospital

1-18  as such a center. As a condition of continuing that designation , the

1-19  hospital must comply with the following requirements:

2-1    (a) The hospital must admit any injured person who requires medical

2-2  care ; [.]

2-3    (b) Any physician who provides treatment for trauma must be qualified

2-4  to provide that treatment ; [.]

2-5    (c) The hospital must maintain the standards specified in the regulations

2-6  adopted pursuant to subsection 2[.] ; and

2-7    (d) If the hospital is designated as a level I or II center for the

2-8  treatment of trauma, is located in a county whose population is less than

2-9  400,000 and contracts with a person for services for the treatment of

2-10  trauma, the hospital must charge the billed charges to each person

2-11  responsible for payment for trauma services provided by the hospital.

2-12    4.  A hospital, including a hospital designated as a center for the

2-13  treatment of trauma, shall not indemnify or provide a reduced payment

2-14  or other relief to any person responsible for the payment of the billed

2-15  charges described in paragraph (d) of subsection 3 for trauma services

2-16  provided by a hospital designated as a center for the treatment of trauma.

2-17    Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective on January 1, 2002.

 

2-18  H