(a) (1) No general acute care hospital may promulgate policies or implement practices that determine differing standards of obstetrical care based upon a patient’s source of payment or ability to pay for medical services.
(2) Each hospital holding an obstetrical services permit shall provide the licensing and certification division of the department with a written policy statement reflecting paragraph (1) and shall post written notices of this policy in the obstetrical admitting areas of the hospital by July 1, 1999. Notices posted pursuant to this section shall be posted in the predominant language or languages spoken in the hospital’s service area.
(b) It shall constitute unprofessional conduct within the meaning of the Medical Practice Act, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, for a physician or surgeon to deny, or threaten to withhold pain management services from a woman in active labor, based upon that patient’s source of payment, or ability to pay for medical services.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 652, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1999.)