Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
03/06/2006 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB109 | |
| SB8 | |
| SB184 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 109 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 184 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
CSHB 109(FIN)-SCREENING NEWBORN FOR HEARING/AUDIOLOGIST
1:35:29 PM
CHAIR DYSON announced CSHB 109(FIN) to be up for consideration.
REPRESENTATIVE JAY RAMRAS, sponsor of HB 109, informed the
committee that every year 30 to 40 children are born with
congenital hearing impairment in Alaska. The impairments are
often not detected until the affected children are two to three
years old and have experienced significant delays in cognitive
and speech development as a result of the condition. While the
cost of administering a hearing exam at birth is almost
negligible, the state's education system incurs great expenses
while accommodating a student with a speech or cognitive
deficiency.
1:40:14 PM
JANE PIERSON, staff to Representative Jay Ramras, offered to
answer questions.
SENATOR LYDA GREEN remarked that the hearing test is only a
small part of the bill and asked the reason for requiring the
state to assume the responsibility of defining, tracking, and
treating cases of hearing impairment.
MS. PIERSON responded that the bill would create a standardized
procedure to track the progress of a child diagnosed with a
hearing impairment and it would direct the parents to resources
available within their community.
SENATOR GREEN asked whether participation in the program would
be terminated once the child reaches three years of age.
MS. PIERSON replied yes. She added that many parents of
children with hearing impairments do not have a system to guide
them through the various treatment programs that are available.
SENATOR GREEN expressed concern that the bill would give the
state far too much oversight over what should be a family
decision.
MS. PIERSON responded that the bill allows families to exit the
program at any time.
SENATOR GARY WILKEN asked how the legislation would enhance the
state's existing response to the problem.
MS. PIERSON replied it would establish a standardized program to
track the progress of children with hearing impairments. It
would also establish a procedure to direct the parents of a
hearing impaired child to resources available within their
community.
1:44:37 PM
SENATOR WILKEN asked whether the bill would add another layer of
bureaucracy upon a network of programs that is already working
effectively.
MS. PIERSON answered it would only establish standardized
procedures for programs that already exist throughout the state.
1:46:06 PM
CHAIR DYSON asked the reason that the fiscal note is so low.
MS. PIERSON replied it was due to the fact that the actual
hearing test machinery was already in place throughout the
state.
CHAIR DYSON questioned whether implementing the standards in the
bill would only cost the state $64,000 as is stated in the
fiscal note.
MS. PIERSON responded that the amount is appropriate so long as
the state continues to receive the same amount of federal grant
funding to address the problem.
SENATOR GREEN asked whether the Department of Health and Social
Services (DHSS) could send brochures on hearing impairment to
the birthing centers and hospitals in the state.
1:49:45 PM
STEPHANIE BURCH, Section Chief, Women's, Children's, and Family
Health, Division of Public Health, (DHSS), replied that the
department currently distributes a series of brochures on
hearing impairment and screening to all the hospitals and
birthing centers throughout the state.
1:51:33 PM
CHAIR DYSON remarked that the director of the Division of Public
Health is in favor of extending the screening program to all
infants in the state. He asked how the screening of infants was
related to other screening tests performed on newborns.
1:53:49 PM
MS. BURCH replied that most newborns are screened for a hearing
impairment when they are given the newborn metabolic screening
test. She added that while the metabolic test is required by
statute, the hearing test is not, and some children born at home
or in hospitals with high staff turnover are missed. Her
organization would like to see statutory requirements for
hearing screening and tracking similar to those for the
metabolic test.
CHAIR DYSON asked whether the bill would simply add one more
condition to an existing screening and tracking program.
MS. BURCH replied that is correct. She said that the purpose of
the legislation was to help affected families enroll hearing
impaired children in early intervention programs before they
enter the school system.
1:57:29 PM
CHAIR DYSON asked whether the passage of the bill would provide
additional remedial services to children with hearing
impairments.
MS. BURCH replied that the fiscal note provides for a possible
expansion of the services currently offered by hearing resource
consultants. Funding for the expansion would be allocated only
if the number of hearing impaired children in the state
increases.
SENATOR DONNY OLSON asked how rural hospitals have responded to
the proposed legislation.
MS. BURCH replied they have received an outstanding response
from the rural hospitals.
SENATOR OLSON asked whether there were penalties for not
complying with the mandate.
MS. PIERSON replied no.
2:00:37 PM
CHAIR DYSON asked what would happen to medical providers that
don't comply.
MS. BURCH replied that physicians and hospital managers
generally comply with recommendations from the American Academy
of Pediatrics and nearly 100 percent of physicians comply with
the program today.
SENATOR GREEN suggested that programs for diagnosis usually
generate pressure to establish programs for treatment. She
expressed concern that many communities would not be able to
provide services for hearing-impaired children and there would
almost certainly be requests for travel funding from affected
families. She asked the witness whether that was a pertinent
concern.
2:05:15 PM
MS. BURCH acknowledged Senator Green's concern and informed the
committee that there are several pediatric audiologists in the
Native health care system who travel to villages to perform
screening and follow up. She added that while some travel is
necessary within the program, her organization has been fairly
successful in keeping travel costs in line.
LEENA ONGLEY testified in support of HB 109. She emphasized that
early diagnosis of hearing impairment is crucial. While
statistical analysis predicts that there will be 30 children
born in Alaska with some degree of hearing impairment in a given
year, other children develop hearing impairment later in
childhood as a result of frequent ear infections. She said that
the screening of newborns provides audiologists with an
important baseline by which to diagnose the later form of
hearing impairment.
MS. ONGLEY added that in her experience, about half of the
children living in the villages of the North Slope have chronic
ear pathology accompanied by moderate hearing loss by the time
they turn one year old. Hearing loss is an oft-undiagnosed
cause of delayed language acquisition, which is a major problem
in North Slope school districts.
2:09:18 PM
KERRY PIPPIN, Speech Therapist, testified in support of HB 109.
She said the bill was important in that it would maintain the
priority of the program throughout the state. She said it is
particularly important for rural areas where the program is
often overlooked due to the high turnover rate among hospital
staff.
2:13:47 PM
PAMELA MUELLER-GUY, Anchorage, testified in support of HB 109.
SUZANNE RUST, Anchorage, testified in support of HB 109. She
said that her daughter benefited tremendously from early
treatment for hearing loss. She relayed her difficult
experience seeking appropriate treatment due to a lack of
information and remarked that the bill would do much to help
families in similar situations. She added that hearing
impairment is the most common birth defect in the United States
and many states have already implemented similar legislation.
2:21:43 PM
JODI RUMPH, Juneau, testified in support of HB 109. She said
that her son was born with a correctable hearing impairment that
was not detected for years because there were no hearing
machines available in the communities in which they lived. Her
son's first hearing test was inconclusive because the results
could not be compared to any baseline from previous tests and
his condition was not properly diagnosed until he started
showing significant delays in his speech development. She urged
the committee to pass HB 109 to prevent similar cases from
occurring.
2:23:56 PM
SENATOR GREEN asked the witness whether she believed that she
would have been covered under HB 109.
MS. RUMPH replied that it was her understanding that her son's
condition would have been diagnosed earlier if his baseline were
established at birth.
SENATOR GREEN said she understood the bill to be limited in
scope and suggested that it might not apply to home births.
MS. RUMPH responded the bill would standardize the requirements
for hearing screening. It would require public health nurses
who travel to small communities to test children in the
communities for hearing impairment. She expressed concerned
that the state's excellent hearing program may fall apart as the
equipment ages and rural hospital staff changes.
2:25:50 PM
SENATOR OLSON commended the witness on her testimony. He asked
how much a rural family not covered by Medicaid could expect to
spend while seeking therapy for a hearing impaired child.
MS. RUMPH replied such families incur enormous traveling
expenses while traveling to larger cities for testing and
therapy.
2:31:27 PM
LISA OWENS, Anchorage resident, testified in support of HB 109.
SANDY FRICKY, nurse, Bartlett Regional Hospital, testified in
support of HB 109. She said it was not difficult for the staff
at Bartlett Regional Hospital to incorporate hearing screening
into their standard metabolic tests.
2:34:28 PM
CHAIR DYSON asked Ms. Fricky whether HB 109 would change any of
the activities that she performs at the hospital.
MS. FRICKY replied no.
SENATOR ELTON asked whether the hospital performs hearing
screening for babies born at home.
MS. FRICKY replied that the hospital performs screening on
children born at home only if a home birth attendant requests
it.
MARTIN BEALS, Representative of the Alaskan Chapter of the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), testified in support of HB
109. He emphasized that the screening is not a simple
positive/negative test and it often yields false-positive
results. Establishing standard procedures for follow up and
tracking would simplify the administration of the test and
increase the efficiency of the treatment of affected children.
2:39:25 PM
CATHERINE PRICE-CARTER, nurse, Bartlett Regional Hospital,
testified in support of HB 109. She said that the bill would
lend greater legitimacy to Bartlett's existing program.
MARK BUTLER, Public Information Officer, Department of Health
and Human Services, Municipality of Anchorage, testified in
support of HB 109.
MARIE DARLIN, AARP Coordinator, Capitol City Task Force,
testified in support of HB 109.
SUSAN WALKER, Anchorage resident, testified in support of HB
109.
2:44:42 PM
DEBBIE GOLDEN, Director, Program Services, March of Dimes,
Alaska Chapter, testified in support of HB 109.
2:48:24 PM
SENATOR OLSON asked Ms. Golden whether hearing tests performed
by nurses and audiologists yield different rates of false
positive results.
MS. GOLDEN replied no.
CHAIR DYSON recognized no further witnesses and closed public
testimony.
2:52:29 PM
SENATOR ELTON moved to report CSHB 109(FIN) from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. There
being no objection, it was so ordered.
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