Physicians and surgeons.

Under existing law, the Medical Board of California licenses and regulates physicians and surgeons and imposes various fees on those licensees. Under existing law, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California licenses and regulates osteopathic physicians and surgeons and imposes various fees on those licensees. Existing law establishes the Medically Underserved Account for Physicians within the Health Professions Education Fund that is managed by the Health Professions Education Foundation and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Under existing law, the primary purpose of the account is to fund the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program, that provides for the repayment of educational loans, as specified, obtained by a physician and surgeon who practices in a medically underserved area of the state, as defined. Under existing law, funds placed in the account for those purposes are continuously appropriated for the repayment of loans and may be used for any other authorized purpose. Physicians and surgeons and osteopathic physicians and surgeons are eligible for the loan repayment program and the board assesses an additional $25 license fee for purposes of the loan repayment program. This bill would require each of those boards, on or before July 1, 2015, to develop a mechanism for a physician and surgeon or an osteopathic physician and surgeon, respectively, to pay a voluntary contribution, at the time of application for initial licensure or biennial renewal, for those purposes.