North Carolina SB 1047: Rural Physicians Incentive Funds.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2005
S 1
SENATE BILL 1047

Short Title: Rural Physicians Incentive Funds. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Clodfelter; Cowell, Hartsell, and Kinnaird.
Referred to: Appropriations/Base Budget.
March 24, 2005

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CREATE AND PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE RURAL OBSTETRICAL 2
AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CARE INCENTIVE FUND. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the 5
Department of Health and Human Services the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) 6
for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. These funds shall be used to provide funds for the Rural 7
Obstetrical and Emergency Department Care Incentive Fund, as established in Section 2 8
of this act. 9
SECTION 2. The Rural Obstetrical and Emergency Department Care 10
Incentive Fund is established within the Department of Health and Human Services, 11
Office of Rural Health, and shall be used to make grants to physicians who are 12
practicing obstetrics, or providing emergency department services, in rural and 13
underserved areas of the State and are adversely affected by the high cost of liability 14
insurance. The grants shall be used solely for the purpose of subsidizing in whole or in 15
part the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining liability insurance for physicians 16
in rural and underserved health care manpower shortage areas of the State as defined by 17
the Office of Rural Health. The Office of Rural Health shall establish guidelines for 18
administering grant funds. 19
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective July 1, 2005. 20