§ 2506 — Obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program

§ 2506. Obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration\nprogram. 1. There is hereby established in the department the obstetric\nand pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program, to provide\nfinancial support for obstetric practitioners providing prenatal and\nobstetric services to medically needy women and to pediatric\npractitioners serving children up to one year of age, to assist them in\npaying for professional liability insurance coverage related to those\nservices, within amounts appropriated for that purpose.\n 2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the\nfollowing meanings:\n (a) "Obstetric practitioner". A physician who is board certified or an\nactive candidate for board certification in obstetrics, a physician who\nis board certified, or eligible for board certification, in family\npractice and provides obstetric services, a certified nurse midwife, or\nan obstetric nurse practitioner.\n (b) "Pediatric practitioner". A physician who is board certified, or\neligible for board certification, in pediatrics or a pediatric nurse\npractitioner.\n (c) "Prenatal and obstetric services to medically needy women" and\n"pediatric services for children up to one year of age". Prenatal and\nobstetric services provided by an obstetric practitioner, and pediatric\nservices for children up to one year of age, in private individual or\ngroup practice, or comprehensive diagnostic and treatment centers\npursuant to article twenty-eight of this chapter, to women and children\n(i) through the prenatal care assistance program, or the medical\nassistance program under the social services law; or (ii) through a\nprogram approved by the commissioner under this section, under which the\nservices are provided without remuneration to the practitioner for his\nor her services; or (iii) who are not covered for these services by\nsubparagraph (i) of this paragraph or by private health insurance.\n 3. The commissioner is authorized to contract with obstetric and\npediatric practitioners to provide financial support for the costs they\nbear for their professional liability insurance coverage, to the extent\nthat the cost is reasonably related or proportional to the amount of\nprenatal and obstetric and pediatric services to medically needy women\nand children up to one year of age the practitioner provides in\nproportion to the total amount of prenatal, obstetric and pediatric\nservices the practitioner provides.\n 4. Prenatal and obstetric services and pediatric services for children\nup to one year of age provided without remuneration to the obstetrical\nor pediatric practitioner, for the purposes of this section, shall be\nprovided as part of a program administered by a general hospital (as\ndefined in article twenty-eight of this chapter) or a city or county\nhealth department, approved by the commissioner.\n 5. The commissioner shall establish regulations, standards and\nprocedures for the obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive\ndemonstration program, including but not limited to quality assurance,\nthe services to be provided, and the provision or records and\ninformation by obstetric and pediatric practitioners applying for or\nreceiving support under this section.\n 6. In making contracts under this section, the commissioner shall\nconsider the extent to which the support will increase, maintain and\nimprove the accessibility and quality of prenatal and obstetric services\nto medically needy women and pediatric services to children up to one\nyear of age, and shall assure that support is reasonably distributed\ngeographically throughout urban and rural areas of the state.\n 7. On or before February first, nineteen hundred ninety-two, the\ncommissioner shall submit to the governor and the chairs of the assembly\nand senate committees on health a report on the operation and\neffectiveness of the obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive\ndemonstration program, including any recommendations the commissioner\ndeems appropriate.\n