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California Civil Code CIV Section 43.9

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(a) There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause
of action shall accrue against, any health care provider for
professional negligence on account of the receipt by such provider of
an unsolicited referral, arising from a test performed by a
multiphasic screening unit, for any act or omission, including the
failure to examine, treat, or refer for examination or treatment any
person concerning whom an unsolicited referral has been received. The
immunity from liability granted by this subdivision shall only apply
where a health provider meets the obligations established in
subdivision (c).
   (b) Every multiphasic screening unit shall notify each person it
tests that the person should contact the health provider to whom the
test results are sent within 10 days and that the health provider may
not be obligated to interpret the results or provide further care.
The multiphasic screening unit shall include the words "PATIENT TEST
RESULTS" on the envelope of any test results sent to a health care
provider, and shall include the address of the person tested in the
test result material sent to the health care provider.
   Nothing contained in this section shall relieve any health care
provider from liability, if any, when at the time of receipt of the
unsolicited referral there exists a provider-patient relationship, or
a contract for health care services, or following receipt of such
unsolicited referral there is established or reestablished a
provider-patient relationship.
   (c)  A health care provider who receives unsolicited test results
from a multiphasic screening unit shall receive immunity from
liability pursuant to subdivision (a) only if the provider who
receives such test results and does not wish to evaluate them, or
evaluates them and takes no further action, either notifies the
multiphasic screening unit of that fact or returns the test results
within 21 days.  If the health care provider reviews the test results
and determines that they indicate a substantial risk of serious
illness or death the provider shall make a reasonable effort to
notify the person tested of the presumptive finding within 14 days
after the provider has received the test results.
   (d) For the purposes of this section:
   (1) "Health care provider" means any person licensed or certified
pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business
and Professions Code, or licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic
Initiative Act or the Chiropractic Initiative Act, or licensed
pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 1440) of Division 2
of the Health and Safety Code, and any clinic, health dispensary, or
health facility licensed pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with
Section 1200) of the Health and Safety Code.  "Health care provider"
also includes the legal representatives of a health care provider.
   (2) "Professional negligence" means an action for personal injury
or wrongful death proximately caused by a health care provider's
negligent act or omission to act in the rendering of professional
services, provided that such services are within the scope of
services for which the health care provider is licensed and are not
within any restriction imposed by the licensing agency or any
licensed hospital.
   (3) "Unsolicited referral" means any written report regarding the
health, physical or mental condition of any person which was
forwarded or delivered to a health care provider without prior
request by such provider.
   (4) A "multiphasic screening unit" means a facility which does not
prescribe or treat patients but performs diagnostic testing only.

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Last modified: April 11, 2008