PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Corps members must use the best methods, places, and staff to give health care in areas that lack enough health professionals. They must try to serve everyone in those areas, even if people cannot pay, and must work with other local health providers. The Secretary can let Corps members use local health facilities, provide or lease equipment and supplies, hire permanent or temporary doctors, nurses, dentists, and other staff, or send Corps members to the nearest Service facility if there is no local facility. The Secretary may allow use of a Service hospital so long as it does not reduce care for people who are already entitled to that hospital’s services. The Secretary may make one loan to any group with an approved application under section 254f to help start practices, buy equipment, or renovate buildings, up to $50,000. When Corps assignments end, the Secretary may sell used equipment to local entities at fair market value or for less if they cannot pay. Hospitals may not refuse admitting privileges to qualified Corps members who follow hospital rules; a hospital that does so and loses after a hearing can be barred from federal funds under this chapter or Titles XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the Social Security Act. “Hospital” means most public or private hospitals and related facilities, but not federal government hospitals.

Title 42, §254h

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Means of delivery of services; cooperation with other health care providers

In providing health services in a health professional shortage area, Corps members shall utilize the techniques, facilities, and organizational forms most appropriate for the area, population group, medical facility, or other public facility, and shall, to the maximum extent feasible, provide such services (1) to all individuals in, or served by, such health professional shortage area regardless of their ability to pay for the services, and (2) in a manner which is cooperative with other health care providers serving such health professional shortage area.

(b)Utilization of existing health facilities; lease, acquisition, and use of equipment and supplies; permanent and temporary professional services

(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may (A) to the maximum extent feasible make such arrangements as he determines necessary to enable Corps members to utilize the health facilities in or serving the health professional shortage area in providing health services; (B) make such arrangements as he determines are necessary for the use of equipment and supplies of the Service and for the lease or acquisition of other equipment and supplies; and (C) secure the permanent or temporary services of physicians, dentists, nurses, administrators, and other health personnel. If there are no health facilities in or serving such area, the Secretary may arrange to have Corps members provide health services in the nearest health facilities of the Service or may lease or otherwise provide facilities in or serving such area for the provision of health services.

(2)If the individuals in or served by a health professional shortage area are being served (as determined under regulations of the Secretary) by a hospital or other health care delivery facility of the Service, the Secretary may, in addition to such other arrangements as he may make under paragraph (1), arrange for the utilization of such hospital or facility by Corps members in providing health services, but only to the extent that such utilization will not impair the delivery of health services and treatment through such hospital or facility to individuals who are entitled to health services and treatment through such hospital or facility.

(c)Loan; purposes; limitations

The Secretary may make one loan to any entity with an approved application under section 254f of this title to assist such entity in meeting the costs of (1) establishing medical, dental, or other health profession practices, including the development of medical practice management systems; (2) acquiring equipment for use in providing health services; and (3) renovating buildings to establish health facilities. No loan may be made under this subsection unless an application therefor is submitted to, and approved by, the Secretary. The amount of any such loan shall be determined by the Secretary, except that no such loan may exceed $50,000.

(d)Property and equipment disposal; fair market value; sale at less than full market value

Upon the expiration of the assignment of all Corps members to a health professional shortage area, the Secretary may (notwithstanding any other provision of law) sell, to any appropriate local entity, equipment and other property of the United States utilized by such members in providing health services. Sales made under this subsection shall be made at the fair market value (as determined by the Secretary) of the equipment or such other property; except that the Secretary may make such sales for a lesser value to an appropriate local entity, if he determines that the entity is financially unable to pay the full market value.

(e)Admitting privileges denied to Corps member by hospital; notice and hearing; denial of Federal funds for violation; “hospital” defined

(1)(A)It shall be unlawful for any hospital to deny an authorized Corps member admitting privileges when such Corps member otherwise meets the professional qualifications established by the hospital for granting such privileges and agrees to abide by the published bylaws of the hospital and the published bylaws, rules, and regulations of its medical staff.

(B)Any hospital which is found by the Secretary, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, to have violated this subsection shall upon such finding cease, for a period to be determined by the Secretary, to receive and to be eligible to receive any Federal funds under this chapter or under titles XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq., 1396 et seq., 1397aa et seq.].

(2)For purposes of this subsection, the term “hospital” includes a State or local public hospital, a private profit hospital, a private nonprofit hospital, a general or special hospital, and any other type of hospital (excluding a hospital owned or operated by an agency of the Federal Government), and any related facilities.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (e)(1)(B), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Act are classified generally to subchapters XVIII (§ 1395 et seq.), XIX (§ 1396 et seq.), and XXI (§ 1397aa et seq.), respectively, of chapter 7 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (e)(1)(B). Pub. L. 107–251 substituted “titles XVIII, XIX, or XXI of the Social Security Act” for “titles XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act”. 1990—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(A), (2), (d). Pub. L. 101–597, § 401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area wherever appearing. Subsec. (e)(1)(A). Pub. L. 101–597, § 106, substituted “authorized Corps member admitting privileges” for “authorized physician or dentist member of the Corps admitting privileges”. 1981—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 97–35, § 2705(a), substituted provisions respecting cooperation with other health care providers, for provisions respecting direct health services programs. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 97–35, § 2705(b), struck out cl. (4) relating to appropriate continuing education programs.

§254h Provision of Health Services by Corps Members