Chapter
269
2006 -- S 2369 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/03/06
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH
AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Introduced By: Senators Roberts, Alves, Perry, Paiva-Weed, and Gibbs
Date Introduced: February
07, 2006
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Sections 23-1-44, 23-1-45 and 23-1-46 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-1
entitled
"Department of Health" are hereby amended to read as follows:
23-1-44.
Routine childhood immunization vaccines. – Routine childhood and adult
immunization
vaccines. -- The department of
health shall include in the department's
immunization
program those vaccines for routine childhood immunization as recommended by
the
advisory committee for immunization practices (ACIP) and the academy of
pediatrics (AAP),
and
for adult influenza immunization as recommended by the advisory committee for
immunization
practices (ACIP), to the extent
permitted by available funds.
23-1-45.
Infant-child immunization account. – Immunization account.
-- There is
created
within the general fund a restricted receipt account to be known as the "infant-child
"immunization account". All money in the account
shall be utilized by the department of health to
effectuate
the provisions of section 23-1-44. All money received pursuant to sections
23-1-46 and
23-1-47
shall be deposited in the infant-child immunization account. Funding
dedicated
exclusively
to effectuate the provisions of section 23-1-44 and received by the department
of
health
from sources other than those identified in sections 23-1-46 and 23-1-47 may
also be
deposited
in the immunization account. The
general treasurer is authorized and directed to draw
his or
her orders on the account upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers from
the
department
of health.
23-1-46.
Insurers. -- (a) Beginning in the fiscal year 2002 2007,
each insurer licensed or
regulated
pursuant to the provisions of chapters 18, 19, 20, and 41 of title 27 shall be
assessed a
child
immunization assessment and an adult immunization assessment for the
purposes set forth
in this
section. The department of health shall make available to each insurer, upon
its request,
information
regarding the department of health's child immunization programs
and the costs
related
to the program. Further, the department of health shall submit to the general
assembly an
annual
report on the child immunization programs and cost related to the
programs, on or before
February
1 of each year. Annual assessments shall be based on direct premiums written in
the
year
prior to the assessment and for the child immunization program shall not
include any
Medicare
Supplement Policy (as defined in section 27-18-2.1(g)), Medicaid or Medicare
premiums.
Adult influenza immunization program annual assessments shall include
contributions
related
to the program costs from Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Managed Care. As to
accident
and sickness insurance, the direct premium written shall include, but is not
limited to,
group,
blanket, and individual policies. Those insurers assessed greater than ten
thousand dollars
($10,000)
for the year shall be assessed four (4) quarterly payments of twenty-five
percent (25%)
of their
total assessment. Beginning July 1, 2001, the annual rate of assessment shall
be
determined
by the Director of Health in concurrence with the Primary Payors, those being
insurers
assessed at greater than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the previous year.
This rate
shall be
calculated by the projected costs for advisory committee on immunization
practices
(ACIP)
recommended and state mandated vaccines after the federal share has been
determined by
the
centers for disease control and prevention. The primary payors shall be
informed of any
recommended
change in rates at least six (6) months in advance, and rates shall be adjusted
no
more
frequently than one time annually. The director of the department of health
shall deposit
that these amounts in the "infant-child
immunization account". The These assessments shall be
used
solely for the purposes of the "infant-child immunization account
programs" and no other.
The
director of the department of health shall deposit that these
amounts in the "infant-child
immunization
account".
(b) Any funds collected in excess of funds needed to carry-out ACIP
recommendations
shall be
deducted from the subsequent year's assessments.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC01393/SUB A
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