Dialysis Patient Quality of Care Assurance Act of 2019.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate chronic dialysis clinics, defined as a clinic that provides less than 24-hour care for the treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease, including renal dialysis services. Existing law also requires the department to periodically inspect every clinic for which a license or special permit has been issued, with the frequency to be determined based on the type and complexity of the clinic or special service to be inspected. Existing law makes this provision inapplicable to an end-stage renal disease facility. Existing law makes a person who violates a law or willfully or repeatedly violates a rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to these clinics guilty of a crime. This bill would require the department to inspect each licensed chronic dialysis clinic that receives a one- or 2-star quality rating as determined by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Five-Star Quality Rating System at least once per calendar year, until the clinic attains at least a 3-star rating. The bill would also require the department to conduct any additional inspection that the department deems necessary to ensure the continuation of high quality medical care for dialysis patients. The bill would require the department, commencing January 1, 2020, to assess a supplemental license fee on licensed chronic dialysis clinics in an amount not to exceed the reasonable cost to the department to conduct the inspections. The bill would name the act the Dialysis Patient Quality of Care Assurance Act of 2019.