Existing law authorizes the University of Nevada School of Medicine to establish a Nevada Health Service Corps to encourage practitioners of certain health care professions to practice in areas of Nevada in which a shortage of that type of practitioner exists. (NRS 396.900) Under existing law, the University of Nevada School of Medicine may authorize the Nevada Health Service Corps to administer a program under which money for loans is repaid on behalf of a practitioner for each year he or she practices in an area of Nevada in which a shortage of that type of practitioner exists. (NRS 396.903) Section 8 of this bill expands that program to also include the repayment of loans on behalf of providers of behavioral health care who commit to practicing on a full-time basis for at least 2 years in Nevada: (1) in a hospital or other inpatient setting, an outpatient setting or providing crisis management services; (2) as a full-time faculty member with teaching responsibilities in a program of education or training for practitioners or providers of behavioral health care at an institution within the Nevada System of Higher Education; or (3) providing behavioral health care to pupils in prekindergarten through 12th grade in public schools in this State. In order to be eligible for the program, section 8 requires a provider of behavioral health care who practices in a hospital, other inpatient setting or outpatient setting or provides crisis management services to: (1) accept certain forms of payment commonly used by elderly or economically disadvantaged patients; and (2) provide services to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Sections 3 and 4 of this bill define certain relevant terms, and sections 2 and 5 of this bill make changes necessary to apply those definitions to provisions governing the Nevada Health Service Corps. Sections 6 and 7 of this bill expand the purposes of the Nevada Health Service Corps to include certain purposes relating to the duties prescribed by section 8, as those duties apply to providers of behavioral health care. Section 9 of this bill makes an appropriation from the State General Fund for allocation to the Nevada Health Service Corps to repay loans on behalf of providers of behavioral health care in accordance with section 8.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 396.899, 396.900, 396.901, 396.903
Reprint 1: 396.899, 396.900, 396.901, 396.903
BDR: 396.899, 396.900, 396.901, 396.903