(a) For purposes of this chapter “emergency services” means physician services in one of the following:

(1) A general acute care hospital which provides basic or comprehensive emergency services for emergency medical conditions.

(2) A site which was approved by a county prior to January 1, 1990, as a paramedic receiving station for the treatment of emergency patients, for emergency medical conditions.

(3) Beginning in the 1991–92 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, in a facility which contracted prior to January 1, 1990, with the National Park Service to provide emergency medical services, for emergency medical conditions.

(4) A standby emergency room in a hospital specified in Section 124840 of the Health and Safety Code, for emergency medical conditions.

(5) A standby emergency room in a hospital in existence on January 1, 2007, located in Los Angeles County that meets all of the following requirements:

(A) The requirements of subdivision (m) of Section 70413 and Sections 70415 and 70417 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(B) Reported at least 18,000 emergency department patient encounters to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in 2007 and continues to report at least 18,000 emergency department patient encounters to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in each year thereafter.

(C) A hospital with a standby emergency department meeting the requirements of this paragraph shall do both of the following:

(i) Annually provide the State Department of Public Health and the local emergency medical services agency with certification that it meets the requirements of subparagraph (A). The department shall confirm the hospital’s compliance with subparagraph (A).

(ii) Annually provide to the State Department of Public Health and the local emergency medical services agency the emergency department patient encounters it reports to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to establish that it meets the requirement of subparagraph (B).

(b) For purposes of this chapter, “emergency medical condition” means a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, which in the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in any of the following:

(1) Placing the patient’s health in serious jeopardy.

(2) Serious impairment to bodily functions.

(3) Serious dysfunction to any bodily organ or part.

(c) It is the intent of this section to allow reimbursement for all inpatient and outpatient services which are necessary for the treatment of an emergency medical condition as certified by the attending physician or other appropriate provider.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 288, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2009.)