Cal. WIC § 14134.5 — California Code / Code wic / Division 9 / Part 3 / Chapter 7 / Article 4 / Section 14134.5
Section 14134.5
Status: in_force

All of the following requirements apply to the provision of services pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 14132:

(a) “Comprehensive perinatal provider” means any general practice physician, family physician and surgeon, obstetrician-gynecologist, pediatrician, certified nurse-midwife, a group, any of whose members is one of the above-named providers, or any preferred provider organization or clinic enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and certified pursuant to the standards of this section.

(b) “Perinatal” means the period from the establishment of pregnancy to one month following delivery.

(c) “Comprehensive perinatal services” shall include, but not be limited to, the provision of the combination of services developed through the former Department of Health Services Obstetrical Access Pilot Program provided or coordinated by a comprehensive perinatal provider.

(d) The comprehensive perinatal provider shall schedule visits with appropriate providers and track the patient to verify whether services have been received. As part of the reimbursement for coordinating these services, the comprehensive perinatal provider shall ensure the provision of the following services either through the provider’s own service or through subcontracts or referrals to other providers:

(1) A psychosocial assessment and when appropriate referrals to counseling.

(2) Nutrition assessments and when appropriate referral to counseling on food supplement programs, vitamins, and breastfeeding.

(3) Health, childbirth, and parenting education.

(e) (1) Except where existing law prohibits the employment of physicians, a health care provider may employ or contract with all of the following medical and other practitioners for the purpose of providing the comprehensive services delineated in this section:

(A) Physicians, including a general practitioner, a family physician and surgeon, a pediatrician, or an obstetrician-gynecologist.

(B) Certified nurse-midwives.

(C) Licensed midwives.

(D) Nurses.

(E) Nurse practitioners.

(F) Physician assistants.

(G) Social workers.

(H) Health and childbirth educators.

(I) Registered dietitians.

(2) The department shall adopt regulations that define the qualifications of any of these practitioners who are not currently included under the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. Providers shall, as feasible, utilize staffing patterns that reflect the linguistic and cultural features of the populations they serve.

(f) The California Medical Assistance Program and the Maternal and Child Health Branch of the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with the California Conference of Local Health Officers, shall establish standards for health care providers and services rendered pursuant to this subdivision.

(g) The department shall assist local health departments to establish a community perinatal program whose responsibilities may include certifying and monitoring providers of comprehensive perinatal services. The department shall provide the local health departments with technical assistance for the purpose of implementing the community perinatal program. The department shall utilize, to the extent feasible, and to the extent funding for administrative costs is available, local health departments in the administration of the perinatal program. If these funds are unavailable, the department shall use alternative means to implement the community perinatal program.

(h) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department shall establish a method for reimbursement of comprehensive perinatal providers that shall include a fee for coordinating services and shall be sufficient to cover reasonable costs for the provision of comprehensive perinatal services. The department may utilize fees for service, capitated fees, or global fees to reimburse providers. However, if capitated or global fees are established, the department shall set minimum standards for the provision of services including, but not limited to, the number of prenatal visits, and the amount and type of psychosocial, nutritional, and educational services that patients receive.

(2) Notwithstanding the type of reimbursement system, the comprehensive perinatal provider shall not be financially at risk for the provision of inpatient services. The provision of inpatient services that are not related to perinatal care shall not be subject to the requirements of this section. Inpatient services related to services pursuant to this subdivision shall be reimbursed, in accordance with Section 14081, 14086, 14087, or 14087.2, whichever is applicable.

(i) The department shall develop systems for the monitoring and oversight of the comprehensive perinatal services provided in this section. The monitoring shall include, but shall not be limited to, the collection of information using the perinatal data form.

(j) Participation for services provided pursuant to this section shall be voluntary. The department shall adopt patient rights safeguards for recipients of the comprehensive perinatal services.

(k) The amendments made to this section by the act that added this subdivision do not revise or expand the scope of practice of licensed midwives, as defined in Article 24 (commencing with Section 2505) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(l) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), on the effective date of the regulations adopted by the Medical Board of California pursuant to Section 2507 of the Business and Professions Code, a licensed midwife shall be eligible to serve as a comprehensive perinatal provider.

(m) For purposes of this section, “family physician” means a primary care physician and surgeon who renders continued comprehensive and preventative health care services to individuals and families, and who has received specialized training in an approved family medicine residency for three years after graduation from an accredited medical school.