Bill Overview
Title: HELP for Volunteers Act
Description: This bill makes permanent liability protections for health care professionals who volunteer their services at community health centers.
Sponsors: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Target Audience
Population: Patients served by healthcare volunteers at community health centers globally
Estimated Size: 29000000
- The bill targets health care professionals who volunteer their services, which includes doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners.
- Community health centers serve medically underserved populations, particularly in low-income areas.
- In the US, nearly 1,400 health centers provide care to over 29 million patients annually, many of whom are in vulnerable communities.
- Globally, the number of health care professionals volunteering in various capacities at underserved centers is significant, particularly in regions with poor healthcare infrastructure.
- While not all individuals benefiting from volunteer health services will be directly impacted by liability protections, the continuity and confidence in volunteer services indirectly affect them.
Reasoning
- This policy relates closely to healthcare volunteers, so the major impact is expected to come from healthcare professionals themselves as well as patients at community health centers. Central to the issue of liability protections is the increase in volunteer enthusiasm, potentially attracting more volunteer professionals. This can result in broader access to care and possibly enhance service coverage, thus indirectly affecting patient wellbeing as they benefit from potentially improved healthcare services.
- Given the budgetary constraints, this policy targets a particular segment of providers and patients. Providers who volunteer are likely limited in number as compared to the entire pool of healthcare professionals, making their marginal improvement critical, especially in underserved communities. Therefore, the scale of the policy is considerable considering its focus on creating a conducive environment for volunteers to provide extended services without the fear of liability.
- Patients in medically underserved or low-income areas may benefit indirectly through improved access to and quality of care if more healthcare professionals opt to volunteer. In turn, this could improve their overall wellbeing over the long term. For others, there might be no direct impact due to the inherent limitations of where the volunteer services reach. However, the indirect benefits may still improve general confidence in community healthcare systems overall.
Simulated Interviews
Registered Nurse (Houston, TX)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a volunteer nurse, knowing I'm protected from liabilities when I provide care is a great relief. It makes me more willing to spend my limited free time offering services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Primary Care Physician (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This law makes volunteering at the clinics more appealing. It offers a sense of security against malpractice claims, which is a big concern for any healthcare worker.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Community Health Volunteer Coordinator (New York, NY)
Age: 40 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Securing liability protection for our volunteers means more consistent presence at our clinics. It's been challenging to retain healthcare volunteers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Medical Student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Learning about these protections might encourage more students like me to offer volunteer services as part of our training, which is appealing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Retired Surgeon (Miami, FL)
Age: 66 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I'm retired, these protections for active volunteers reassure me that my charity will continue to attract skilled professionals safely.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Family Physician (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to know someone has our back legally when volunteering. This could encourage more professionals like me to volunteer regularly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Emergency Room Doctor (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This protection makes volunteering in local community centers more viable during weekends, without worrying about personal legal risks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Public Health Researcher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm really interested in seeing how these legal protections might fortify the healthcare volunteer workforce in low-income communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Community Health Center Patient (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More doctors volunteering would mean better, more frequent care for me and others in my position. If this policy encourages that, it's a big plus.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Healthcare Policy Analyst (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill is an excellent step to secure volunteer service continuity, impacting positive healthcare trends in vulnerable populations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 2: $31000000 (Low: $26000000, High: $36000000)
Year 3: $32000000 (Low: $28000000, High: $37000000)
Year 5: $34000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $39000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Emphasis on liability protections could potentially attract a significant number of volunteer healthcare professionals, impacting community health services positively.
- The administrative and legal mechanisms to enact this bill may have additional initial implementation costs.
- Undefined long-term effects on volunteer participation as broader health sector regulations continue to evolve.