PART III-A. HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF

SEXUALLY-ORIENTED CRIMINAL OFFENSES

§1216.1. Procedures for victims of a sexually-oriented criminal offense; immunity; regional plans; maximum allowable costs; definitions

A. All licensed hospitals and healthcare providers in Louisiana shall adhere to the following procedures in the event that a person, male or female, presents himself or herself or is presented for treatment as a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense:

(1) The victim shall make the decision of whether or not the incident will be reported to law enforcement officials. No hospital or healthcare provider shall require the person to report the incident in order to receive medical attention.

(2)(a) If the victim does not wish to report the incident to law enforcement officials, the victim shall be examined and treated as any other patient. Any injuries requiring medical attention shall be treated in the standard manner. Tests and treatments exclusive to a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense shall be explained and offered to the patient. The patient shall decide whether or not such tests shall be conducted.

(b) Any examination and treatment shall include the preservation, in strict confidentiality, for a period of at least one year from the time the victim is presented for treatment, of tests or procedures, or both, and samples that may serve as potential evidence. The patient shall be informed of the length of time for which the specimens will be preserved. If the victim does not wish to report the incident to law enforcement authorities, the responsibilities of the hospital or healthcare provider, beyond medical treatment, shall be limited to the collection of tests, procedures, or samples that may serve as potential evidence.

(c) Any evidence collected shall be assigned a code number and the hospital or healthcare provider shall maintain code records for a period of at least one year from the date the victim is presented for treatment. The hospital or healthcare provider shall assign the code number by affixing to the evidence container a code to be used in lieu of the victim's identifying information to maintain confidentiality. The code number is to be used for identification should the victim later choose to report the incident.

(d) For unreported cases, once a code number has been assigned, custody of the evidence shall be transferred to an appropriate criminal justice agency or the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the parish in which the crime occurred or to the appropriate criminal justice agency or local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the parish in which the hospital or healthcare provider is located, if the jurisdiction of the crime is unknown, and responsibility for the custody of the evidence shall belong to that criminal justice agency or local law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agency shall retrieve from the hospital or healthcare provider the evidence no later than seven days after receiving notification that a code number has been assigned to the evidence. The hospital or healthcare provider shall coordinate the transfer of the evidence with the criminal justice agency or law enforcement agency in a manner designed to protect its evidentiary integrity. Evidence which is transferred to the custody of the appropriate criminal justice agency or local law enforcement agency shall bear only the code number assigned by the hospital or healthcare provider.

(3) If the victim wishes to report the incident to law enforcement officials, the hospital staff or healthcare provider shall contact the appropriate law enforcement agency. After the incident has been reported, the victim shall be examined and treated as any other patient, any injuries requiring medical attention shall be treated in the standard manner, and specimens shall be kept for evidence. The evidence shall be turned over to the law enforcement officers when they arrive to assume responsibility for investigation of the incident and in no event shall the evidence remain at the hospital more than seven days after the law enforcement agency receives the notification from the hospital.

(4)(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if any person seventeen years old or younger presents himself or herself or is presented for treatment as a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense, the hospital or healthcare provider shall immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement official. The appropriate law enforcement official shall have seven days from the receipt of the notification to retrieve any evidence collected by the hospital pursuant to this Subparagraph.

(b) The coroner of the parish, the district attorney, appropriate law enforcement officials, hospital personnel, and healthcare providers may develop procedures pursuant to R.S. 15:440.1 through 440.6 to make a videotape of the person provided for in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph when a person fourteen years old or younger has been the victim of physical or sexual abuse. The costs of such videotaping may be allocated among the agencies and facilities involved.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if the victim is physically or mentally incapable of making the decision to report, the hospital or healthcare provider shall immediately notify the appropriate law enforcement officials.

(6) No hospital or healthcare provider shall directly bill a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense for any healthcare services rendered in conducting a forensic medical examination as provided for in R.S. 15:622. The expenses shall include the following:

(a) Forensic examiner and hospital or healthcare facility services directly related to the exam, including integral forensic supplies.

(b) Scope procedures directly related to the forensic exam including but not limited to anoscopy and colposcopy.

(c) Laboratory testing directly related to the forensic examination, including drug screening, urinalysis, pregnancy screening, syphilis screening, chlamydia culture, gonorrhea coverage culture, blood test for HIV screening, hepatitis B and C, herpes culture, and any other sexually transmitted disease testing directly related to the forensic examination.

(d) Any medication provided during the forensic medical examination.

(7) A healthcare provider may submit a claim for payment of healthcare services rendered in conducting a forensic medical exam for a victim of a sexually-oriented offense to any of the following:

(a) With the consent of the victim, to the victim's health insurance issuer. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, a health insurance issuer receiving a claim for covered healthcare services rendered in conducting a forensic medical exam shall waive any applicable deductible, co-insurance, and co-pay and the healthcare provider shall submit a claim to the Crime Victims Reparations Fund for satisfaction of any non-covered services, not to exceed one thousand dollars. In addition, the health insurance issuer shall allow the victim to designate any address to be used for purposes of transmitting an explanation of benefits or allow the victim to designate that no explanation of benefits be generated or transmitted.

(b) The Louisiana Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare programs, if the victim is enrolled as beneficiary of any of these programs.

(c) If the victim does not consent to the healthcare provider submitting a claim to his or her health insurance issuer or the victim is not otherwise insured, the Crime Victims Reparations Board. The Crime Victims Reparations Board shall reimburse at the rate as promulgated by the board for healthcare services rendered but in no case shall reimburse in any amount greater than one thousand dollars.

(8) Except for those services specifically set forth in the provision of this Section, no other services shall be subject to the reimbursement or billing provisions of this Section and shall continue to be reimbursable under the ordinary billing procedures of the hospital or healthcare provider. In addition, a victim of a sexually-oriented offense may seek reimbursement for these services through the Crime Victims Reparations Board.

(9) The department shall make available to every hospital and healthcare provider licensed under the laws of this state a pamphlet containing an explanation of the billing process for services rendered pursuant to this Section. Every hospital and healthcare provider shall provide a copy of the pamphlet to any person presented for treatment as a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense.

B.(1) These procedures shall constitute minimum standards for the operation and maintenance of hospitals under the provisions of this Part and failure to comply with the standards shall constitute grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of license under provisions of this Part.

(2) Failure to comply with the provisions of this Section may constitute grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of the healthcare provider's license by the appropriate licensing board or commission.

C. When a licensed hospital or healthcare provider fails to examine and treat a person, male or female, who has presented himself or herself or who has been presented as a victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense, the coroner of the parish or his designee shall examine the alleged victim and, if necessary, make arrangements for the treatment of the victim. The coroner may select the hospital or healthcare provider named as the lead entity for sexual assault examinations in the regional plan required by this Section as his designee to perform the forensic medical examination. No coroner shall refuse to examine and assist an alleged victim on the grounds the alleged offense occurred outside of or the victim is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Nothing in this Subsection shall relieve a licensed hospital or healthcare provider of its obligations under Subsections A and B of this Section.

D.(1) Any member of the hospital staff or a healthcare provider who in good faith notifies the appropriate law enforcement official pursuant to Paragraphs (A)(4) and (A)(5) of this Section shall have immunity from any civil liability that otherwise might be incurred or imposed because of the notification. The immunity shall extend to participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from the report.

(2) The hospital or healthcare provider staff member who notifies the appropriate law enforcement official shall document the date, time, and method of notification and the name of the official who received the notification.

(3) On or before January first of each year, each law enforcement agency shall provide each hospital located in its respective jurisdiction with the name of the responsible contact person along with the responsible person's contact information in order to comply with the provisions of this Section.

E.(1) The Louisiana Department of Health, through the medical directors of each of its nine regional health service districts, shall coordinate an annual sexual assault response plan for each district. Each district shall submit a proposed plan for review by the secretary no later than November first of each year. An approved plan shall become effective February first of the following year.

(2) When developing the annual response plan, each district shall incorporate a sexual assault response team protocol to the extent possible; however, at a minimum, each district shall develop the annual plan to do all of the following:

(a) Provide an inventory of all available resources and existing infrastructure in the region and clearly outline how the resources and infrastructure will be incorporated in the most effective manner.

(b) Clearly outline the entity responsible for the purchase of sexual assault collection kits and the standards and procedures for the storage of the kits prior to use in a forensic medical examination.

(c) Clearly outline the standards and procedures for a victim to receive a forensic medical examination, as defined in R.S. 15:622, to ensure access to such an examination in every parish. The plan shall designate a hospital or healthcare provider to be the lead entity for sexual assault examinations for adult victims and a hospital or healthcare provider to be the lead entity for sexual assault examinations for pediatric victims. The plan shall also include specific details directing first responders in the transport of victims of a sexually-oriented crime, the appropriate party to perform the forensic medical examination, and any required training for a person performing a forensic medical examination.

(d) Clearly outline the standards and procedures for the handling and payment of medical bills related to the forensic medical examination to clarify and ensure that those standards and procedures are in compliance with this Section and any other applicable section of law.

(e) Clearly outline the standards and procedures for the transfer of sexual assault collection kits for both reported and unreported crimes to an appropriate criminal justice agency or the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the parish in which the crime was committed, if known, or if unknown, to an appropriate criminal justice agency or the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the parish in which the hospital or healthcare provider is located. The plan shall include a maximum time period for the transfer to occur not to exceed seven days after the criminal justice agency or local law enforcement agency receives a request for the transfer from the hospital or healthcare provider.

(3) When developing the annual response plan, the department shall solicit the input of interested stakeholders in the region including but not limited to all of the following:

(a) The sheriff for each parish within the region.

(b) The chief of police for any political subdivision located within the region.

(c) All hospitals located within the region.

(d) The coroner for each parish within the region.

(e) First responder organizations located within the region.

(f) Higher education institutions located within the region.

(g) The school board for each parish located within the region.

(h) Sexual assault advocacy organizations and children's advocacy centers providing services within the region.

(i) The district attorney for each parish within the region or his designee.

(j) Each crime lab located within the region.

(4) The annual response plan shall be approved by the stakeholders as provided for in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.

F. All sexual assault collection kits used in a forensic medical examination shall meet the standards developed by the Louisiana Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

G. For purposes of this Section the following definitions apply:

(1) "Forensic medical examination" has the same meaning as defined in R.S. 15:622.

(2) "Healthcare provider" means either of the following:

(a) A physician or other healthcare practitioner licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise authorized to perform specified healthcare services consistent with state law.

(b) A facility or institution providing healthcare services, including but not limited to a hospital or other licensed inpatient center, ambulatory surgical or treatment center, skilled nursing facility, inpatient hospice facility, residential treatment center, diagnostic, laboratory, or imaging center, or rehabilitation or other therapeutic health setting.

(3) "Healthcare services" means services, items, supplies, or drugs for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, cure, or relief of a health condition, illness, injury, or disease ancillary to a sexually-oriented criminal offense.

(4) "Sexually-oriented criminal offense" has the same meaning as defined in R.S. 15:622.

Acts 2015, No. 229, §3, eff. June 23, 2015; Acts 2018, No. 209, §1.