(a) The following definitions shall apply for purposes of this section: (1) âCountyâ means the City and County of San Francisco. (2) âBoardâ means the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. (3) âDepartmentâ means the State Department of Health Care Services. (4) âGoverning bodyâ means the governing body of the health authority. (5) âHealth authorityâ means the separate public agency established by the board of supervisors to operate a health care system in the county and to engage in the other activities authorized by this section. (b) The Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary that a health authority be established in the county to arrange for the provision of health care services in order to meet the problems of the delivery of publicly assisted medical care in the county, to enter into a contract with the department under Article 2.97 (commencing with Section 14093), or to contract with a health care service plan on terms and conditions acceptable to the department, and to demonstrate ways of promoting quality care and cost efficiency. (c) The county may, by resolution or ordinance, establish a health authority to act as and be the local initiative component of the Medi-Cal state plan pursuant to regulations adopted by the department. If the board elects to establish a health authority, all rights, powers, duties, privileges, and immunities vested in a county under Article 2.8 (commencing with Section 14087.5) and Article 2.97 (commencing with Section 14093) shall be vested in the health authority. The health authority shall have all power necessary and appropriate to operate programs involving health care services, including, but not limited to, the power to acquire, possess, and dispose of real or personal property, to employ personnel and contract for services required to meet its obligations, to sue or be sued, to take all actions and engage in all public and private business activities, subject to any applicable licensure, as permitted a health care service plan pursuant to Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, and to enter into agreements under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. (d) (1) (A) The health authority shall be considered a public entity for purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, separate and distinct from the county, and shall file the statement required by Section 53051 of the Government Code. The health authority shall have primary responsibility to provide the defense and indemnification required under Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code for employees of the health authority who are employees of the county. The health authority shall provide insurance under terms and conditions required by the county in order to satisfy its obligations under this section. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, âemployeeâ shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 810.2 of the Government Code. (2) The health authority shall not be considered to be an agency, division, department, or instrumentality of the county and shall not be subject to the personnel, procurement, or other operational rules of the county. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any obligations of the health authority, statutory, contractual, or otherwise, shall be the obligations solely of the health authority and shall not be the obligations of the county, unless expressly provided for in a contract between the authority and the county, nor of the state. (4) Except as agreed to by contract with the county, no liability of the health authority shall become an obligation of the county upon either termination of the health authority or the liquidation or disposition of the health authorityâs remaining assets. (e) (1) To the full extent permitted by federal law, the department and the hea
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