Ohio § 2305.2341

§ 2305.2341.

(A) The medical liability insurance reimbursement program is hereby established.  Free clinics and federally qualified health center look-alikes, including the clinics'

and centers' staff and volunteer health care professionals and volunteer health care

workers, may participate in the medical liability insurance reimbursement program

established by this section.  The coverage provided under the program shall be limited to claims that arise out

of the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients of free clinics and centers, as

defined in division (D) of this section. (B) A free clinic or federally qualified health center look-alike is eligible to receive

reimbursement under the medical liability insurance reimbursement program for the

premiums that the clinic or center pays for medical liability insurance coverage for

the clinic or center, its staff, and volunteer health care professionals and health

care workers.  Free clinics and federally qualified health center look-alikes shall register with

the department of health by the thirty-first day of January of each year in order

to participate in and to obtain reimbursement under the program.  Clinics that register with the department in accordance with this division shall

receive priority over centers that register for reimbursement. Free clinics and federally qualified health center look-alikes shall provide all of

the following to the department of health at the time of registration: (1) A statement of the number of volunteer and paid health care professionals and health

care workers providing health care services at the free clinic or federally qualified

health center look-alike at that time; (2) A statement of the number of health care services rendered by the free clinic or

federally qualified health center look-alike during the previous fiscal year; (3) A signed form acknowledging that the free clinic or federally qualified health center

look-alike agrees to follow its medical liability insurer's risk management and loss

prevention policies; (4) A copy of the medical liability insurance policy purchased by the free clinic or

federally qualified health center look-alike, or the policy's declaration page, and

documentation of the premiums paid by the clinic or center. (C) The department of health shall reimburse free clinics and federally qualified health

center look-alikes participating in the professional liability insurance reimbursement

program for up to eighty per cent of the premiums that the clinic or center pays for

medical liability insurance coverage up to twenty thousand dollars.  Appropriations to the department of health may be made from the general fund of

the state for this purpose. (D) As used in this section: (1) “ Federally qualified health center look-alike ” means a public or not-for-profit health center that meets the eligibility requirements

to receive a federal public health services grant under the “Public Health Services

Act,” 117 Stat. 2020, 42 U.S.C. 254b , as amended, but does not receive grant funding. (2) “ Free clinic ” means a nonprofit organization exempt from federal income taxation under section

501(c)(3) of the “Internal Revenue Code of 1986,” as amended, or a program component

of a nonprofit organization, whose primary mission is to provide health care services

for free or for a minimal administrative fee to individuals with limited resources.  A free clinic facilitates the delivery of health care services through the use of

volunteer health care professionals and voluntary care networks.  For this purpose, a free clinic shall comply with all of the following: (a) If a free clinic does request a minimal administrative fee, a free clinic shall not

deny an individual access to its health care services based on an individual's ability

to pay the fee. (b) A free clinic shall not bill a patient for health care services rendered. (c) Free clinics shall not perform operations, as defined by divisions (A)(9) and (F)(1)(b) of section 2305.234 of the Revised Code . A clinic is not a free clinic if the clinic bills medicaid, medicare, or other third-party

payers for health care services rendered at the clinic, and receives twenty-five per

cent or more of the clinic's annual revenue from the third-party payments. (3) “Health care professional” and “health care worker” have the same meanings as in section 2305.234 of the Revised Code .