A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE Department of Health and Human Services, OFFICE OF RESEARCH, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND RURAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT, TO ESTABLISH THE RURAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT INCENTIVE FUND.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Research, Demonstrations, and Rural Health Development, the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year and the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used to establish the Rural Emergency Department Incentive Fund within the Office of Research, Demonstrations, and Rural Health Development.  The purpose of the Fund is to make available grants to physicians who are adversely affected by the high cost of liability insurance.  The grants shall be used solely for the purpose of subsidizing, in part or in whole, the costs associated with obtaining or maintaining liability insurance for physicians providing services in hospital emergency departments in health care manpower shortage areas of the State as defined by the Office of Research, Demonstrations, and Rural Health Development.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.