SB 1177: Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program.

Existing law establishes in the Department of Consumer Affairs the Substance Abuse Coordination Committee, comprised of the executive officers of the departments healing arts boards and a designee of the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law requires the committee to formulate, by January 1, 2010, uniform and specific standards in specified areas that each healing arts board is required to use in dealing with substance-abusing licensees, whether or not a healing arts board has a formal diversion program.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires all moneys paid to and received by the Medical Board of California to be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California, which, except for fine and penalty money, is a continuously appropriated fund.

This bill would authorize the board to establish a Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program for the early identification of, and appropriate interventions to support a physician and surgeon in his or her rehabilitation from, substance abuse, as specified. If the board establishes a program, the bill would require the board to contract for the programs administration with a private 3rd-party independent administering entity meeting certain requirements. The bill would require program participants to enter into an individual agreement with the program that includes, among other things, a requirement to pay expenses related to treatment, monitoring, and laboratory tests, as provided.

This bill would create the Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program Account within the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California. The bill would require the board to adopt regulations to determine the appropriate fee for a physician and surgeon to participate in the program, as specified. The bill would require these fees to be deposited in the Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program Account and to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the support of the program. Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the bill would authorize the board to use moneys from the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California to support the initial costs for the board to establish the program, except the bill would prohibit these moneys from being used to cover any costs for individual physician and surgeon participation in the program.