Physicians and surgeons.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California (board) within the Department of Consumer Affairs (department) . Under existing law, the biennial license renewal fee for physicians and surgeons is required to be fixed by the board and may not exceed $790. This bill would create the Physician Health Program, administered by the Physician Health, Recovery, and Monitoring Oversight Committee within the department, with 14 members to be appointed as specified. The purpose of the program would be, among other things, to promote awareness and education relative to physician and surgeon health issues, including impairment due to alcohol or substance abuse, mental disorders, or other health conditions that could affect the safe practice of medicine, and to make treatment available to all physicians and surgeons subject to a written agreement with the program that includes agreement by the physician and surgeon to pay for expenses associated with the treatment. The bill would also provide for referral by the program of physicians and surgeons, as defined, to certified monitoring programs on a voluntary basis, governed by a written agreement between the participant and the program. The bill would require the department to select a contractor to implement the program, with the committee serving as the evaluation body for submitted proposals. The bill would require the program to report the name of a participant to the board and the committee when it learns of the participant's failure to meet the requirements of the program. The bill would require the committee to report to the department certain statistics received from the program, would require the department to report to the Legislature on the outcomes of the program, and would require regular audits of the program. This bill would, beginning July 1, 2013, increase the biennial license renewal fee by $39.50 for purposes of these provisions, except as specified. The bill would direct the board to transfer this revenue on a monthly basis to the Physician Health, Awareness, and Monitoring Quality Trust Fund, which the bill would create, and would specify that the use of these funds is subject to appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would provide that the trust fund be the only source of public funding and that the trust fund may receive private donations. The bill would require that the committee manage the program within the amount of resources provided. The bill would enact other related provisions and make other conforming changes.