Insurance Code section 10178

No admitted insurer, union trust fund which administers health, medical, or surgical insurance, or employer which has an insurance company administering its health services program, shall deny, for the reason that the insured incurred no expense, a claim for hospital, medical or surgical services rendered by a nongovernmental charitable research hospital in this state which makes no charge for its services in the absence of insurance. No expense-incurred, group hospital, medical or surgical policy or certificate or union trust fund which administers health, medical, or surgical insurance, or employer which has an insurance company administering its health services program, shall except, limit or reduce benefits for services rendered by a nongovernmental charitable research hospital because it does not charge for its services in the absence of insurance. No expense-incurred individual hospital, medical or surgical policy or certificate or union trust fund which administers health, medical, or surgical insurance, or employer which has an insurance company administering its health services program, shall except, limit, or reduce benefits for services rendered by a nongovernmental charitable research hospital because it does not charge for its services in the absence of insurance.
This section shall apply to every group policy or certificate of expense-incurred hospital, medical, or surgical insurance covering or delivered to a covered individual in this state, notwithstanding the situs of the group master policy pursuant to which the coverage is provided.
As used in this section, charitable research hospital means a hospital that meets all the following criteria:

(1)

Is internationally recognized as devoting itself primarily to medical research.

(2)

Expends not less than 10 percent of its operating budget in each fiscal year exclusively on medical research activities which are not directly related to the provision of services to patients.

(3)

Derives not less than one-third of its gross revenues in each fiscal year from contributions, donations, grants, gifts, or other gratuitous forms from individuals, groups, persons, or entities unrelated to the hospital. Contributions, donations, grants, gifts or other gratuitous sources of revenue received as compensation for medical services provided patients shall not be considered for purposes of this subdivision.

(4)

Accepts patients without regard to the patient’s ability to pay for medical services.

(5)

Not less than two-thirds of the patients admitted have a primary diagnosis or suspected disease or condition directly related to the specific area or areas in which the hospital conducts research. Patients admitted because of an emergent life-threatening condition who could not be safely transported to another hospital shall not be considered as patients for purposes of this section.

Source: Section 10178, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=INS§ionNum=10178.­ (accessed Apr. 24, 2025).

Last Updated

Apr. 24, 2025

§ 10178’s source at ca​.gov