Bill > S1111

Introduced Session

This bill establishes an annual registration requirement and certain operational requirements for retail health clinics and urgent care facilities. Retail health clinics are health care facilities that are located within a retail store, supermarket, pharmacy, or similar retail outlet that offer walk-in services limited to preventative and wellness care, vaccine administration, and related services. Urgent care facilities are health care facilities that offer episodic, walk-in care for the treatment of acute, but not life-threatening, health conditions. Each retail health clinic and urgent care facility that is not otherwise licensed as an ambulatory care facility will be required to register with the Department of Health on an annual basis. The clinic or facility will be required to submit with its annual registration information concerning: its location and hours of operation; the names of its medical supervisor, operational supervisor, and chief customer service officer; the names of any health care professionals employed by or affiliated with the clinic or facility; the nature and scope of health care services provided and conditions treated at the clinic or facility; and any other information as may be required by the department. Registry information for retail health clinics and urgent care facilities will be made available on the department's Internet website. The operational supervisor of each clinic or facility will be responsible for ensuring the clinic or facility is compliant with all State and federal requirements regarding patient privacy and the confidentiality of patient information, medical records, proper credentialing of affiliated health care professionals, vaccine reporting requirements, and prohibitions against self-interested referrals and patient steering practices. The medical supervisor of each clinic or facility is responsible for overseeing all health care services provided at a retail health clinic or urgent care facility. A person may simultaneously serve as operational supervisor and medical supervisor at a retail health clinic or urgent care facility, provided the person does not have a supervisory role at more than three retail health clinics or urgent care facilities. Each retail health clinic and urgent care facility is to have a chief customer service officer, who will serve as the point of contact for consumer complaints, appeals, and inquiries. Retail health clinics and urgent care facilities will be required to make the patient's treatment record available to the patient upon request, and to furnish a copy to the patient's primary care provider upon request. Records are to be forwarded to the patient's primary care provider no later than five days after the request is made or any related testing is completed, whichever is later, and may be transmitted in any form that can be accessed by the primary care provider. The fees charged for furnishing or forwarding copies of the patient's treatment record are not to exceed the actual costs of providing the records. If the treating professional indicates in writing that it is not medically advisable to provide a copy of the medical record to the patient, the record will be provided to a person authorized to make health care decisions on the patient's behalf. Patients receiving health care services at a retail health clinic or urgent care facility are to be urged by the treating professional to follow up with the patient's primary care provider. If the patient does not have a primary care provider, the retail health clinic or urgent care facility will be required to offer to assist the patient in locating a primary care provider. Except in emergent circumstances, retail health clinics and urgent care facilities will be prohibited from providing health care services to individuals younger than 18 years of age or to individuals currently enrolled in the Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare programs. The bill establishes an enumerated list of patient rights. The operational supervisor of each retail health clinic and urgent care facility will be required to insure that a written summary of these rights is given to the patient or the person authorized to make health care decisions on behalf of the patient prior to the provision of health care services, and that a written notice listing these rights is posted in a conspicuous place in the clinic or facility. The commissioner will be permitted to adopt rules and regulations concerning retail health clinics and urgent care facilities, including requirements regarding the nature, scope, and specific health care services that may be provided at retail health clinics and urgent care facilities, as well as any additional standards and requirements for the operation of retail health clinics and urgent care facilities as may be appropriate.

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John McKeon (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document