§30-8-5a Special volunteer certificate of registration; civil immunity for voluntary services rendered to indigents.
§30-8-5a. Special volunteer certificate of registration; civil immunity for voluntary services rendered to indigents.
(a) There is established a special volunteer certificate of registration for optometrists retired or retiring from the active practice of optometry who wish to donate their expertise for the care and treatment of indigent and needy patients in the clinic setting of clinics organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge. The special volunteer certificate of registration shall be issued by the West Virginia Board of Optometry to optometrists registered or otherwise eligible for registration under this article and the legislative rules promulgated hereunder without the payment of an application fee, license fee or renewal fee, and shall be issued for the remainder of the licensing period, and renewed consistent with the boards other licensing requirements. The board shall develop application forms for the special certificate of registration provided in this subsection which shall contain the optometrist's acknowledgment that:
(1) The optometrist's practice under the special volunteer certificate of registration will be exclusively devoted to providing optometrical care to needy and indigent persons in West Virginia;
(2) The optometrist will not receive any payment or compensation, either direct or indirect, or have the expectation of any payment or compensation, for any optometrical services rendered under the special volunteer certificate of registration;
(3) The optometrist will supply any supporting documentation that the board may reasonably require; and
(4) The optometrist agrees to continue to participate in continuing education as required by the board for a special volunteer optometrist license.
(b) Any optometrist who renders any optometrical service to indigent and needy patients of a clinic organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge under a special volunteer certificate of registration authorized under subsection (a) of this section without payment or compensation or the expectation or promise of payment or compensation is immune from liability for any civil action arising out of any act or omission resulting from the rendering of the optometrical service at the clinic unless the act or omission was the result of the optometrist's gross negligence or willful misconduct. In order for the immunity under this subsection to apply, there must be a written agreement between the optometrist and the clinic pursuant to which the optometrist will provide voluntary uncompensated optometrical services under the control of the clinic to patients of the clinic before the rendering of any services by the optometrist at the clinic: Provided, That any clinic entering into such written agreement is required to maintain liability coverage of not less than one million dollars per occurrence.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, a clinic organized, in whole or in part, for the delivery of health care services without charge is not relieved from imputed liability for the negligent acts of an optometrist rendering voluntary optometrical services at or for the clinic under a special volunteer certificate of registration authorized under subsection (a) of this section.
(d) For purposes of this section, "otherwise eligible for registration" means the satisfaction of all the requirements for registration as listed in section five of this article and in the legislative rules promulgated thereunder, except the fee requirements of section seven of this article and of the legislative rules promulgated by the board relating to fees.
(e) Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring the board to issue a special volunteer certificate of registration to any optometrist whose certificate of registration is or has been subject to any disciplinary action or to any optometrist who has surrendered a certificate of registration or caused such registration to lapse, expire and become invalid in lieu of having a complaint initiated or other action taken against his or her registration, or who has elected to place a certificate of registration in inactive status in lieu of having a complaint initiated or other action taken against his or her registration, or who has been denied a certificate of registration.
(f) Any policy or contract of liability insurance providing coverage for liability sold, issued or delivered in this state to any optometrist covered under the provisions of this article shall be read so as to contain a provision or endorsement whereby the company issuing such policy waives or agrees not to assert as a defense on behalf of the policyholder or any beneficiary thereof, to any claim covered by the terms of such policy within the policy limits, the immunity from liability of the insured by reason of the care and treatment of needy and indigent patients by an optometrist who holds a special volunteer certificate of registration.