Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/4015

 12 2 STA T .39 92 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 3 5 5 —O CT. 8, 2008 28,UnitedS t a te sCo de )c o v e r a g eto h ea l th care p ro f es - sionals w ho vol u nteer to furnish care to patients of health centers .(B )C ONTE NT. —I n conducting the stud y under su b para- graph ( A ), the Co m ptroller G eneral of the United States shall analy z e— (i) the potential financial implications for the F ed- eral Government of such an e x tension, including any increased funding needed for current health center Federal T ort Claims Act coverage (ii) an estimate of the increase in the number of health care professionals at health centers, and what types of such professionals would most li k ely volunteer given the extension of Federal Tort Claims Act cov- erage; (iii) the increase in services provided by health centers as a result of such an increase in health care professionals, and in particular the effect of such action on the ability of health centers to secure specialty and diagnostic services needed by their uninsured and other patients; (iv) the volume of patient workload at health cen- ters and how volunteer health care professionals may help address the patient volume; (v) the most appropriate manner of extending such coverage to volunteer health care professionals at health centers, including any potential difference from the mechanism currently used for health care profes- sional volunteers at free clinics; (vi) State laws that have been shown to encourage physicians and other health care providers to provide charity care as an agent of the State; and (vii) other policies, including legislative or regu- latory changes, that have the potential to increase the number of volunteer health care staff at health centers and the financial implications of such policies, including the cost savings associated with the ability to provide more services in health centers rather than more expensive sites of care. (c) R E C O G N I TION O FH IG HP O V E R T Y .— ( 1 ) IN GENER AL .—Section 3 3 0 (c) of the Public Health Service Act ( 4 2 U.S.C. 2 5 4b(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph

‘(3) RECOGNITION OF HIGH P OVERTY.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In making grants under this sub- section, the Secretary may recognize the uni q ue needs of high poverty areas. ‘‘(B) HIGH POVERTY AREA D EFINED.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ‘high poverty area ’ means a catchment area which is established in a manner that is consistent with the factors in subsection (k)(3)( J ), and the poverty rate of which is greater than the national average poverty rate as determined by the Bureau of the Census.’’. (2) E FFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall apply to grants made on or after January 1, 200 9 . 42USC 2 5 4 bnote.

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