2506 - Obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program.

§  2506.  Obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration  program.  1. There is hereby established in the department the obstetric  and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program,  to  provide  financial  support  for  obstetric  practitioners providing prenatal and  obstetric  services  to  medically  needy   women   and   to   pediatric  practitioners  serving children up to one year of age, to assist them in  paying for professional liability insurance coverage  related  to  those  services, within amounts appropriated for that purpose.    2.  As  used  in  this  section,  the  following  terms shall have the  following meanings:    (a) "Obstetric practitioner". A physician who is board certified or an  active candidate for board certification in obstetrics, a physician  who  is  board  certified,  or  eligible  for  board certification, in family  practice and provides obstetric services, a certified nurse midwife,  or  an obstetric nurse practitioner.    (b) "Pediatric  practitioner".  A physician who is board certified, or  eligible for board certification, in pediatrics  or  a  pediatric  nurse  practitioner.    (c) "Prenatal  and  obstetric  services  to medically needy women" and  "pediatric services for children up to one year of  age".  Prenatal  and  obstetric  services provided by an obstetric practitioner, and pediatric  services for children up to one year of age, in  private  individual  or  group  practice,  or  comprehensive  diagnostic  and  treatment  centers  pursuant to article twenty-eight of this chapter, to women and  children  (i)  through  the  prenatal  care  assistance  program,  or  the medical  assistance program under the social services  law;  or  (ii)  through  a  program approved by the commissioner under this section, under which the  services  are  provided without remuneration to the practitioner for his  or her services; or (iii) who are not  covered  for  these  services  by  subparagraph (i) of this paragraph or by private health insurance.    3.  The  commissioner  is  authorized  to  contract with obstetric and  pediatric practitioners to provide financial support for the costs  they  bear  for their professional liability insurance coverage, to the extent  that the cost is reasonably related or proportional  to  the  amount  of  prenatal  and  obstetric and pediatric services to medically needy women  and children up  to  one  year  of  age  the  practitioner  provides  in  proportion  to  the  total  amount  of prenatal, obstetric and pediatric  services the practitioner provides.    4. Prenatal and obstetric services and pediatric services for children  up to one year of age provided without remuneration to  the  obstetrical  or  pediatric  practitioner,  for the purposes of this section, shall be  provided as part of a program administered by  a  general  hospital  (as  defined  in  article  twenty-eight  of this chapter) or a city or county  health department, approved by the commissioner.    5.  The  commissioner  shall  establish  regulations,  standards   and  procedures  for  the  obstetric  and  pediatric  practitioner  incentive  demonstration program, including but not limited to  quality  assurance,  the   services  to  be  provided,  and  the  provision  or  records  and  information by obstetric and pediatric  practitioners  applying  for  or  receiving support under this section.    6.  In  making  contracts  under  this section, the commissioner shall  consider the extent to which the support  will  increase,  maintain  and  improve the accessibility and quality of prenatal and obstetric services  to  medically  needy  women and pediatric services to children up to one  year of age, and shall assure that  support  is  reasonably  distributed  geographically throughout urban and rural areas of the state.    7.  On  or  before  February  first,  nineteen hundred ninety-two, the  commissioner shall submit to the governor and the chairs of the assemblyand  senate  committees  on  health  a  report  on  the  operation   and  effectiveness  of  the  obstetric  and  pediatric practitioner incentive  demonstration program, including any  recommendations  the  commissioner  deems appropriate.