9-2-127. Community health centers and rural health clinics; process for grants facilitating capital construction and start up costs; account established; grant criteria.

(a) There is created a process for grants facilitating capital construction and start up costs of community health centers and rural health clinics. The process shall be administered by the Wyoming department of health.

(b) The primary care support account is created. The account shall consist of those funds appropriated to the account by the legislature and all monies received from federal grants and other contributions, grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations to the account. The account is specifically empowered to accept grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations. Funds in the account are continuously appropriated to the department for the purpose of providing grants under subsections (c) and (d) of this section.

(c) The department shall establish by rule and regulation an application procedure and calendar for grants awarded under subsection (d) and adopt other rules as necessary to implement this section.

(d) The department shall provide grants, subject to the following:

(i) Before submission to the department, and following public notice and a hearing, the application shall be approved by the board of county commissioners for the county in which the community health center or rural health clinic is located or proposed to be located;

(ii) Grants may be made to community health centers and rural health clinics for one-time startup costs of a new center or clinic, for existing centers or clinics to expand the population served or initiate new services for existing or new centers or clinics to facilitate compliance with quality criteria. The grants shall be used for capital and start up expenses only and shall not be used for ongoing operating expenses;

(iii) Grants to any one (1) center or clinic shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of state funds;

(iv) Grant applications shall include evidence of a commitment of local matching funds of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the state funds grant amount in cash, in kind or both;

(v) Centers or clinics awarded a grant shall provide services to the public regardless of the ability to pay;

(vi) Grant applicants shall provide proof of designation as a rural health clinic or federally qualified community health center; and

(vii) Grants shall be awarded only if the applicant can demonstrate an operating plan that integrates health care services within the entire service community to promote accessibility and quality of care. The plan shall provide for integration enhancement through the use of the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health records program, the small rural hospital improvement program and other similar programs.

(e) A grant recipient under this section shall agree to provide health care services in an underserved community of the state, from among a list of communities developed by the department, for a period of at least three (3) years under the agreement. The recipient shall accept as its first priority and treat without reservation 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.

(f) The department of health, office of rural health care, shall:

(i) Conduct outreach and education among persons, entities and groups interested in forming a community health center or rural health clinic and submitting a new access point grant application to the United States department of health and human services, health resources and services administration;

(ii) Collect and maintain appropriate data regarding the primary care support program's effect on improvements in community and rural health.

(g) This section is repealed effective June 30, 2021.