HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 257

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend §9903 , Title 16 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 9903. Duties and authority of the Commission.

(g) The Commission shall be responsible for the administration of a Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (HCPLRP). The HCPLRP must be administered consistent with all of the following guidelines:

(1) Subject to an annual $1 million appropriation of available funds, the Commission may award education loan repayment grants to qualifying clinicians of up to $50,000 per year for a minimum of 4 years.

(2) Eligible sites may apply to the Commission on behalf of their affiliated, qualifying clinicians for education loan repayment grants from the HCPLRP. Sites eligible to apply for education loan repayment grants on behalf of their qualifying medical clinicians, including all of the following sites located in Health Professional Shortage Areas in effect as of January 1, 2018 :

a. Hospital primary care practices.

b. Private practices.

c. Federally Qualified Health Centers.

d. Community outpatient facilities.

e. Community mental health facilities.

f. Free medical clinics.

(3) Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants may only be awarded by the Commission to medical sites that accept Medicare and Medicaid participants, and may not include concierge medical practices. To be eligible for a Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants, private medical practice sites must participate in the Voluntary Initiative Program administered by the Department of Health and Social Service s’ Health Care Connection. Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants to hospital sites must be subject to a dollar-for-dollar match by the applicant hospital.

(4) Medical clinicians eligible for Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants must be limited to primary care providers as follows:

a. Physicians practicing Family Medicine, including osteopathic general practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics or Gynecology, Geriatrics, and Psychiatry.

b. Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants practicing Adult Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry or Mental Health, Geriatrics, and Women’s Health.

c. The Commission may give priority consideration to applications submitted on behalf of primary care clinicians that are DIMER-participating students or participants in Delaware-based residency programs.

(5) The Commission may annually spend up to $150,000 on marketing and infrastructure to attract clinicians to apply to the HCPLRP.

(6) The Commission must issue an annual report detailing the number of medical clinicians applying for and awarded Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants, including information regarding the number of applicants and Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grant recipients by practice area and site location.

Section 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, disbursement of Health Care Provider Loan Repayment grants from the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program shall be contingent upon a contribution to the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, in an amount equal to the appropriation of State funds, from Delaware health insurers.

SYNOPSIS

This bill establishes a health care provider loan repayment program for qualifying primary care clinicians to be administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission. Under the loan repayment program, the Health Care Commission may grant education loan repayment grants to primary care clinicians of up to $50,000 per year for a minimum of 4 years. The Commission may give priority consideration to DIMER-participating students and participants in Delaware-based residency programs. Funding for the education loan repayment grants is contingent on and subject to an annual $1 million appropriation from the General Assembly, to be matched in an equal amount by Delaware’s health insurers. Hospitals that apply for grants on behalf of their qualifying clinicians must match the grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Eligible sites must be located in Health Professional Shortage Areas and must accept Medicare and Medicaid participants, and private practice sites must participate in the Department of Health and Social Services’ Voluntary Initiative Program.