S-2864.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5985
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993 Regular Session
By Senators Moore, Moyer, Prentice, Pelz, Deccio, Amondson, Fraser, Wojahn and Quigley
Read first time 04/13/93. Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to childhood vaccines; adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds and declares that:
(a) Childhood communicable diseases constitute a serious threat to the public health of the people of this state, and the prevention of childhood disease is a goal of its people.
(b) The effectiveness of childhood vaccines to save lives and prevent debilitating disease has been well documented.
(c) Administration of certain vaccines is required by law as a condition of entry into school in this state.
(d) Full immunization of all children continues to be sound public policy and is reaffirmed here.
(e) Vaccines are among the most cost-effective components of preventive medical care: For every dollar spent on childhood immunization, ten dollars are saved in later medical costs.
(f) It is in the financial interest of the state and of health care insurers to provide immunizations for all children.
(2) The purpose of this chapter is to ensure that all children in this state receive all well-baby, well-child care including immunizations and that such care is funded by the appropriate payer. To further that purpose the state intends to provide all covered vaccines to all medicaid-eligible children and for all children not eligible for medicaid who are not otherwise covered by health insurance. For children covered by private health care insurance policies, it is the intent of this chapter to require that all health care policies reimburse for well-baby, well-child care including covered vaccines, and that children with private insurance coverage do not receive vaccines purchased with public funds.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Department" means the department of health.
(2) "Covered vaccine" means those vaccines recommended by guidelines of the centers for disease control and/or the American academy of pediatrics to be administered to a child. "Covered vaccine" means, without limitation, the following specific vaccines:
(a) Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP);
(b) Polio: Oral polio vaccine (OPV) or intramuscular polio vaccine (IPV);
(c) Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR);
(d) Haemophilus influenza type b conjugate vaccine (Hib);
(e) Pneumococcal vaccine, when medically indicated.
(3) "Practitioner" means a doctor of medicine, a doctor of osteopathy, or other person who is permitted and otherwise qualified to administer vaccines under the laws of this state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. It is the obligation of all insurers providing health care coverage for any person within this state without regard to business organization, licensing authority, or whether the coverage is self-insurance, to make well-baby, well-child care, including all covered vaccines available to all children covered by insurance without deductible or copay. Providers shall be reimbursed the full cost of the vaccine plus a reasonable fee for administration.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department shall:
(1) Purchase covered vaccines in sufficient quantity to achieve the purposes of this chapter;
(2) Secure and maintain such facilities as may be necessary for the safe and adequate preservation and storage of such vaccines;
(3) Distribute, free of any purchase, shipping, handling, or other charges, such vaccines to practitioners who qualify under section 5 of this act for administration to those children who are medicaid recipients or who are not medicaid-eligible but are not otherwise covered by health insurance; and
(4) Pay an administration fee to providers of covered vaccines, as set by rule.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. In order to receive covered vaccines for administration to children under this chapter, a practitioner shall agree:
(1) Not to impose on the child recipient, the child's parents, a third-party payer, or any other person, any charge for such vaccine;
(2) To provide documentation to the department detailing the vaccines administered, the dates of administration, and the names and dates of birth of the children to whom administered; and
(3) To use vaccines provided by the state only for those children who are medicaid recipients or who are not medicaid-eligible and are not covered by other health insurance.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Public health clinics shall not provide immunizations to children who have private health insurance coverage.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This chapter may be known and cited as the childhood vaccine act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 7 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 70 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The sum of three million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the department of health for the purposes of this act.
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