§ 35-1-1101 — Provider recruitment grant program

(a) There is created the Wyoming provider recruitment
program administered by the department.
(b) There is created the Wyoming provider recruitment
account. Funds in the account are continuously appropriated to
the department to provide grants for provider recruitment. Up
to ten percent (10%) of the funds may be used to advertise the
provider recruitment program.
(c) Subject to the availability of funds, the department
shall solicit provider recruitment applications from hospitals,
physicians and others seeking to recruit providers. The
applications shall be prioritized by need based on geographic
area, then by medical need within the geographic area. Priority
shall be given to recruitment of private practice providers.
The department shall issue award letters to the persons or
entities receiving grant authorizations within sixty (60) days
after the close of an application period. The grant
authorizations shall authorize the person or entity receiving
it, for a period of one (1) year, to make a firm offer of
recruitment incorporating the benefits authorized by this
section to a candidate, conditioned upon Wyoming licensure and
the candidate's signed written agreement to the conditions of
this section.
(d) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations
to administer the program, including provisions for:
(i) Application forms for grants under the program;
(ii) Termination of grants and full or partial
repayment if a provider fails to comply with the conditions of
this section, rules and regulations of the department adopted
pursuant to this section or the terms of the written incentive
agreement;
(iii) Reporting requirements for grant recipients.
(e) Grants provided under this section shall be subject to
the following:
(i) The provider shall be recruited to a stipulated
geographic area;
(ii) A provider shall relocate his practice to the
state of Wyoming from outside of the state to be eligible for a
grant. Providers relocating to the state of Wyoming to become
employed by the state or by the United States shall not be
eligible for grants. The requirement to relocate pursuant to
this paragraph shall not apply to providers recruited from a
family practice residency in the state or recruitment of
providers employed by the United States department of defense;
(iii) The recruitment conditions between a hospital
and a physician shall meet the conditions set forth in 42 C.F.R.
411.357(e), as amended;
(iv) Recruitment of new providers shall be based on
demonstrable need. Those recruiting persons or entities
demonstrating the greatest need, in the discretion of the
department shall be given the highest priority in receiving
grants pursuant to this section;
(v) All recruitment incentives shall be in writing
and shall be reported on federal income tax forms;
(vi) The recruited provider shall agree to provide
medical services in the community to which he was recruited for
a period of not less than two (2) years or the recruiting entity
shall repay any monies granted under subparagraphs (e)(viii)(B)
through (D) of this section to the state of Wyoming plus
interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum;
(vii) The recruited provider shall agree to provide
medical care for not less than two (2) years in underserved
areas of the state and shall accept 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 or the recruiting entity shall repay any monies granted
under this section to the state of Wyoming plus interest at the
rate of ten percent (10%) per annum;
(viii) Costs reimbursed through grants under the
program shall be documented by the provider as required by the
department and may include:
(A) As incentive to the provider recruitment
process, recruitment actual costs, up to ten thousand dollars
($10,000.00) per recruited provider, may be awarded to the
successful recruiting person or entity paying those costs;
(B) Relocation expenses, not to exceed twenty
thousand dollars ($20,000.00);
(C) Malpractice insurance premium for two (2)
years, not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per year;
(D) Signing bonuses not to exceed thirty
thousand dollars ($30,000.00).
(ix) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 89, § 2.
(x) Repealed by Laws 2015, ch. 89, § 2.
(f) As used in this section:
(i) "Department" means the department of health;
(ii) "Hospital" means a county memorial, rural health
care district or special hospital district formed and licensed
under the laws of the state;
(iii) "Physician" means an individual licensed or
eligible to be licensed under the laws of this state to practice
medicine;
(iv) "Program" means the Wyoming provider recruitment
grant program;
(v) "Recruiting entity" means a hospital, physician,
clinic or other appropriate local organization;
(vi) "Provider" means an individual licensed or
eligible to be licensed in a health care profession under title
33 of the Wyoming statutes.