Section 1442.5 Of Article 1. Administration From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2.5. >> Article 1.
1442.5
. (a) Prior to (1) closing , (2) eliminating or reducing the
level of medical services provided by, or (3) the leasing, selling,
or transfer of management of, a county facility, the board shall
provide public notice, including notice posted at the entrance to all
county health care facilities, of public hearings to be held by the
board prior to its decision to proceed. The notice shall be posted
not less than 14 days prior to the public hearings. The notice shall
contain a list of the proposed reductions or changes, by facility and
service. The notice shall include the amount and type of each
proposed change, the expected savings, and the number of persons
affected.
(b) Notwithstanding the board's closing of, the elimination of or
reduction in the level of services provided by, or the leasing,
selling, or transfer of management of, a county facility subsequent
to January 1, 1975, the county shall fulfill its duty to provide care
to all indigent people, either directly through county facilities or
indirectly through alternative means.
(1) Where the county duty is fulfilled by a contractual
arrangement with a private facility or individual, the facility or
individual shall assume the county's full obligation to provide care
to those who cannot afford it, and make their services available to
Medi-Cal and Medicare recipients.
(2) Where the county duty is fulfilled by alternative means, the
facility or individual providing services shall be in compliance with
Sections 441.18 and 1277.
(3) The board shall designate an agency to provide a 24-hour
information service that can give eligible people immediate
information on the available services and access to them, and an
agency to receive and respond to complaints from people eligible for
services under this chapter. The designated agency may be the agency
that operates the facility. This subdivision applies only in
instances in which there is (1) a closing of, (2) an elimination or
reduction in the level of services provided by, or (3) the leasing,
selling, or transfer of, a county facility.
(4) The board shall arrange for all facilities or individuals
contracting to provide services to indigent people to be listed in
the local telephone directory under county listings, and shall
specify therein that the facilities or individuals fulfill the
obligations of county facilities.
(5) Section 25371 of the Government Code does not relieve the
county of the obligation to comply with this section.