A. The Legislature of Louisiana finds that the lack of affordable health care and medication is a health threat to the citizens of Louisiana. The legislature further finds that the rendering of gratuitous services by health care providers in and for community health care clinics and the availability of free medication provide needed medical services and pharmaceuticals which can save the lives of many citizens of this state, particularly children.

            B.(1) No health care provider who in good faith gratuitously renders health care services in a community health care clinic or pursuant to an arrangement with a community health care clinic providing that such services will be rendered at the offices of a health care provider shall be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission in rendering such care or services or as a result of any act or failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care to any person receiving such services, unless the damages were caused by the gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct of the health care provider.

            (2)(a) The provisions of this Subsection shall be applicable only if the person receiving the health care services receives prior notice from the community health care clinic of the limitation of liability provided for in this Paragraph.

            (b) Either at the initial screening of a person or at the time health care services are provided, the community health care clinic or the community health care provider furnishing services shall inform such person of the limitation of liability provided by this Section by: distributing to such person a notice, in a form such person can keep; and have printed and keep posted, at a convenient and conspicuous place where patients entering the clinic will see it, which notice shall read substantially as follows:

            “NOTICE – If you are injured here because of things we do or fail to do, you do not have the same legal recourse as you would have against other health care providers.”

            (c) If the notice is posted, the notice shall be printed in type size sufficient to be easily read by patients upon entering the facility.

            (d) Failure to follow notice procedures as provided in this Section negates the limitation of liability provided by this Section.

            (3)(a) A community health care clinic or community pharmacy shall conduct a screening to determine whether a prospective patient is enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a gratuitous medical or dental treatment plan, including enrollment or eligibility to be enrolled for health care benefits in a public entitlement program, including Medicaid, Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP), or Medicare.

            (b) A community health care clinic or community pharmacy may provide or arrange health care services for a patient who is enrolled or eligible to be enrolled for those services under any gratuitous plan or entitlement program for the immediate or current health condition, illness, injury, or disease and any subsequent medically necessary health care services to diagnose, prevent, treat, cure, or relieve the health condition, illness, injury, or disease. The provision or arrangement for health care services by a community health care clinic or community pharmacy to a patient shall be based on the health care resources of that clinic or pharmacy.

            (c) A community health care clinic or community pharmacy shall provide assistance to an eligible patient on enrollment in a gratuitous medical or dental treatment plan or a public entitlement program for which he may qualify within sixty days of screening by the clinic or pharmacy in accordance with Subparagraph (3)(a) of this Subsection.

            (d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit any individual from receiving health care services provided or arranged by a community health care clinic or community pharmacy.

            (4) A community health care clinic that provides or arranges for services at the office of a licensed health care provider after due notice is provided pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this Subsection and appropriate financial screening shall refer a person who is qualified to receive gratuitous health care services to a primary care physician or a general dentist for a medical assessment or examination and treatment, if appropriate, or to determine the necessity to refer such person to a medical or dental specialist for treatment.

            C.(1) No pharmacist who gratuitously renders services in a community pharmacy shall be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission in preparing, bottling, or supplying such pharmaceutical products, unless the damages were caused by the gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct of the pharmacist.

            (2) The provisions of this Subsection shall be applicable only if the community pharmacy posts, in a convenient and conspicuous place where persons entering the pharmacy will see it, a notice reading substantially as follows: “NOTICE – If you are harmed by medication which you receive here, you do not have the same legal recourse as you would have against other pharmacies.” The notice shall be printed in type size sufficient to be easily read by persons upon entering the facility. Failure to keep such notice posted as provided negates the limitation of liability provided by this Subsection.

            D. For purposes of this Section:

            (1) “Community health care clinic” means a nonprofit organization qualified or eligible for qualification as a tax-exempt organization under 26 U.S.C. § 501, which operates a medical clinic or which provides or arranges for services at the offices of a licensed health care provider solely for educational or charitable purposes, whose principal function is to supply or to make arrangements for the supply of the facilities, volunteer staff, and other support for the rendering of gratuitous medical or dental treatment.

            (2) “Community pharmacy” means a nonprofit organization qualified or eligible for qualification as a tax-exempt organization under 26 U.S.C. § 501, which operates a pharmacy solely for charitable purposes, whose principal function is to supply gratuitous pharmaceuticals.

            (3) “Health care provider” means a clinic, person, corporation, facility, or institution which provides health care or professional services by a physician, clinic, dentist, registered or licensed practical nurse, pharmacist, optometrist, podiatrist, chiropractor, physical therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, and any officer, employee, or agent thereof acting in the course and scope of his employment.

            (4) “Pharmacist” means a pharmacy, person, corporation, facility, or institution which supplies pharmaceuticals prepared or bottled, or both, by the pharmacists, and otherwise handled by any officer, employee, or agent thereof acting in the course and scope of his service or employment.

            E. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any health care provider rendering services covered by the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 40:1237.1et seq.

            F. Any health care provider who in good faith gratuitously renders health care services during any evacuation assistance or in advance of a hurricane or tropical storm declared by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service, or who gratuitously renders any health care services, disaster relief or recovery services following a declared state of emergency, in a community health care clinic or community pharmacy, or pursuant to an arrangement with a community health care clinic, shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission in rendering such relief or recovery services or health care services or as a result of any act or failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment, health care services, relief or recovery services to any person receiving such services, unless the damage or injury was caused by the gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct of the health care provider.

            Acts 1995, No. 1230, §2; Acts 1997, No. 959, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1351, §1; Acts 2001, No. 577, §1; Acts 2004, No. 405, §1; Acts 2007, No. 331, §1.