(a) Notwithstanding Section 2400, a clinic operated primarily for the purpose of medical education by a public or private nonprofit university medical school, which is approved by the board or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, may charge for professional services rendered to teaching patients by licensees who hold academic appointments on the faculty of the university, if the charges are approved by the physician and surgeon in whose name the charges are made.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 2400, a clinic operated under subdivision (p) of Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code may employ licensees and charge for professional services rendered by those licensees. However, the clinic shall not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct the professional judgment of a physician and surgeon in a manner prohibited by Section 2400 or any other law.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 2400, a narcotic treatment program operated under Section 11876 of the Health and Safety Code and regulated by the State Department of Health Care Services, may employ licensees and charge for professional services rendered by those licensees. However, the narcotic treatment program shall not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct the professional judgment of a physician and surgeon in a manner prohibited by Section 2400 or any other law.

(d) Notwithstanding Section 2400, a hospital that is owned and operated by a licensed charitable organization, that offers only pediatric subspecialty care, that, prior to January 1, 2013, employed licensees on a salary basis, and that has not charged for professional services rendered to patients may, commencing January 1, 2013, charge for professional services rendered to patients, provided the following conditions are met:

(1) The hospital does not increase the number of salaried licensees by more than five licensees each year.

(2) The hospital does not expand its scope of services beyond pediatric subspecialty care.

(3) The hospital accepts each patient needing its scope of services regardless of his or her ability to pay, including whether the patient has any form of health care coverage.

(4) The medical staff concur by an affirmative vote that the licensee’s employment is in the best interest of the communities served by the hospital.

(5) The hospital does not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct a physician and surgeon’s professional judgment in a manner prohibited by Section 2400 or any other law.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding Section 2400, until January 1, 2024, a federally certified critical access hospital may employ licensees and charge for professional services rendered by those licensees to patients, provided both of the following conditions are met:

(A) The medical staff concur by an affirmative vote that the licensee’s employment is in the best interest of the communities served by the hospital.

(B) The hospital does not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct a physician and surgeon’s professional judgment in a manner prohibited by Section 2400 or any other law.

(2) (A) On or before July 1, 2023, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall provide a report to the Legislature containing data about the impact of paragraph (1) on federally certified critical access hospitals and their ability to recruit and retain physicians and surgeons between January 1, 2017, and January 1, 2023, inclusive. This report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subparagraph is inoperative on July 1, 2027.

(B) The office shall determine the format of the report, as well as the methods and data elements to be utilized in the development of the report.

(C) On and after July 1, 2017, a federally certified critical access hospital that is employing licensees and charging for professional services rendered by those licensees to patients under this section shall submit to the office, on or before July 1 of each year, a report for any year in which that hospital has employed or is employing licensees and charging for professional services rendered by those licensees to patients. The report shall include data elements as required by the office and shall be submitted in a format as required by the office. The requirement for submitting reports imposed under this subparagraph shall be inoperative on July 1, 2023.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 496, Sec. 1. (AB 2024) Effective January 1, 2017.)