9-2-119. Allied health care provider loan repayment program.

(a) The department is authorized to enter into agreements with health care providers licensed or certified to provide health care services in this state including, but not limited to, hospital, medical, surgical, dental, vision, nursing, radiology, mental health, speech language pathology and pharmaceutical services. The agreements shall:

(i) Require the health care provider to provide health care services in a community of the state from among a list of communities developed by the department. A health care provider shall agree to provide medical care for the period of the contract in underserved areas of the state and shall accept patients qualified under the Medical Assistance and Services Act, Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act and the child health insurance program who seek medical care which the health care provider is qualified to provide;

(ii) Provide that the health care provider shall be repaid up to one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of outstanding educational loans the provider has acquired as a direct result of undergraduate or postgraduate educational training directly related to providing medical services, not to exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) per year, in exchange for practicing under the terms of this section;

(iii) Require the health care provider to agree to provide health care services for a minimum of three (3) years under the agreement;

(iv) Repealed By Laws 2005, ch. 148, § 2.

(v) Contain other provisions the department deems necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(b) The department, in consultation with the appropriate licensing board and professional association, shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. In carrying out this section the department shall assess health care needs of the state by geographic areas and particular health care services required and shall prioritize and enter into agreements under this section accordingly.

(c) The department may vary the terms of each agreement in accordance with this section based upon the community and the number of the health care provider's patients whose cost of care is reimbursed under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, the child health insurance program or the Wyoming Medical Assistance and Services Act.

(d) Repealed by Laws 2006, ch. 118 § 2.

(e) In selecting health care providers for agreements pursuant to this section, the department shall give priority when practical to qualified graduates of the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college.