Vermont S 166: An act relating to reforming the State Board of Education

Bill Text

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VT LEG #385766 v.1
S.166 1
Introduced by Senator Lyons 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Health; public health; immunizations; recommendations; standing 5
orders; liability; purchasing authority; insurance overage 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to authorize the 7
Commissioner of Health to issue immunization recommendations for children 8
and adults as part of the Department’s immunization program. This bill further 9
proposes to allow the Commissioner of Health to issue standing orders for 10
recommended immunizations and provides immunity from civil and 11
administrative liability for health care professionals acting in accordance with 12
the standing orders. It proposes to allow the Commissioner of Health to 13
purchase immunizations from either the Centers for Disease Control and 14
Prevention or another vendor. It also proposes to require health insurers to 15
cover immunizations recommended by the Commissioner of Health without 16
any co-payment, coinsurance, or deductible requirements. Lastly, this bill 17
proposes to amend the membership of the Vermont Immunization Advisory 18
Council. 19
An act relating to issuing immunization recommendations 20

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VT LEG #385766 v.1
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 1
Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 1130 is amended to read: 2
§ 1130. IMMUNIZATION FUNDING 3
(a) As used in this section: 4
* * * 5
(4) “Immunizations Recommended immunization” means vaccines an 6
immunization and the application of the vaccines immunization as 7
recommended by the practice guidelines for children and adults established by 8
the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the Centers for 9
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Commissioner pursuant to section 10
1130a of this title. 11
* * * 12
(b)(1) The Department of Health shall administer an immunization 13
program with the goals of ensuring universal access to vaccines recommended 14
immunizations for all Vermonters individuals domiciled in the State at no 15
charge to the individual and reducing the cost at which the State may purchase 16
vaccines recommended immunizations. The Department shall purchase, 17
provide for the distribution of, and monitor the use of vaccines recommended 18
immunizations as provided for in this subsection and subsection (c) of this 19
section. The cost of the vaccines recommended immunizations and an 20

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VT LEG #385766 v.1
administrative surcharge shall be reimbursed by health insurers as provided for 1
in subsections (e) and (f) of this section. 2
(2) The Department shall solicit, facilitate, and supervise the 3
participation of health care professionals, health care facilities, and health 4
insurers in the immunization program in order to accomplish the State’s goal 5
of universal access to recommended immunizations at the lowest practicable 6
cost to individuals, insurers, and State health care programs. 7
(3) The Department shall gather and analyze data regarding the 8
immunization program for the purpose of ensuring its quality and maximizing 9
protection of Vermonters against diseases preventable by vaccination 10
immunization. 11
(c) The Department shall determine which recommended immunizations 12
shall be purchased under the program. The immunization program shall 13
purchase vaccines recommended immunizations from the federal Centers for 14
Disease Control and Prevention or another vendor at the lowest available cost 15
identified by the Department. The Department shall determine annually which 16
vaccines for adults shall be purchased under the program. 17
(d) The immunization program shall provide for distribution of the 18
vaccines recommended immunizations to health care professionals and health 19
care facilities for administration to patients. 20

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VT LEG #385766 v.1
(e) Health insurers shall remit to the Department the cost of vaccines 1
recommended immunizations, as that cost is established by the Commissioner 2
of Health based on the recommendation of the Immunization Funding 3
Advisory Committee established in subsection (g) of this section. 4
(f) The Department shall charge each health insurer a surcharge for the 5
costs and administration of the immunization program. The surcharge shall be 6
deposited into an existing special fund and used solely for the purpose of 7
administering the program. 8
(g)(1) The Immunization Funding Advisory Committee is established to 9
provide the Commissioner of Health with an annual per-member per-month 10
cost for vaccines recommended immunizations for the pediatric population, an 11
annual per-member per-month cost for vaccines recommended immunizations 12
for the adult population, and a recommendation for the amount of the yearly 13
vaccine immunization assessment. The Committee shall comprise the 14
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