Senate Bill No. 513
(By Senators Humphreys, Grubb, Bailey and Macnaughtan)
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[Introduced March 22, 1993; referred to the Committee
on Health and Human Resources; and then to the
Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend chapter eighteen-c of the code of West Virginia,
one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding
thereto a new article, designated article five, relating to
levying a one percent surcharge on all hospital bills; the
rural health initiative; and health professionals student
loan programs.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter eighteen-c of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by
adding thereto a new article, designated article five, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 5. FAIR HEALTHCARE ACT.
§18C-5-1. Fair healthcare act fund.
There is hereby established a special revolving fund account
under the board of trustees in the state treasury to be known as
the "Fair Healthcare Act Loan Fund" which shall be used to carryout the purposes of the health professionals student loan program
in article three of this chapter and the Rural Health Initiative
Act of 1991 in article sixteen, chapter eighteen-b of this
chapter. The fund shall consist of all funds collected from the
surcharge on hospital bills levied by section two of this article
and other amounts which may be available from external sources.
Balances remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year
shall not expire or revert. All costs associated with the
administration of this section shall be paid from the fair
healthcare act fund.
An individual is eligible for a health education student
loan from the fair healthcare act fund if the individual is a
resident of this state, and (1) is enrolled or accepted for
enrollment at the West Virginia university school of medicine,
Marshall university school of medicine, the West Virginia school
of osteopathic medicine in a program leading to the degree of
medical doctor (M.D.) or doctor of osteopathy (D.O.): Provided,
That the individual has not yet received one of these degrees and
is not in default of any previous student loan, (2) meets the
established academic standards, (3) signs a contract to practice
his or her health profession in an underserved area of the state,
and (4) agrees to stay in West Virginia and practice for five
years after finishing college or residency.
Funds from the fair healthcare act fund may also be used for
grants to those persons defined as rendering primary care or
operating rural health care facilities as defined in sectionthree, article sixteen, chapter eighteen-b of this code. The
rural health initiative advisory panel may determine how these
grants are made and to whom.
§18C-5-2. Surcharge on hospital bills.
There is hereby levied, on all hospital bills rendered in
this state, a surcharge of one percent of the total bill,
beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-three. Every hospital in the state shall assess and
collect the surcharge and remit the surcharge to the senior
administrator employed by the chancellors of the board of
trustees who has the duty to deposit all funds received into the
fair healthcare act fund and to administer this fund in
accordance with established guidelines, in consultation with and
under the direction of the governing board and the vice
chancellor with the advice of the rural health initiative
advisory panel.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to levy a one percent
surcharge on all hospital bills to approve funds for scholarships
to West Virginia residents who attend state medical schools and
who agree to stay in the state for five years after school or
residency. It also permits grants to physicians practicing in
rural areas of the state.
This article is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.