02/01/2012 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

               SB 144-STATE IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:35:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DAVIS announced that SB 144 was before the committee.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GIESSEL,  sponsor of  SB 144,  thanked the  committee for                                                               
hearing the bill and sharing  the concern about the importance of                                                               
the  bill.  She  said  the   fiscal  note  was  prepared  by  the                                                               
Department of Health and Social  Services (DHSS). Here to address                                                               
the fiscal note is Dr. Ward Hurlburt.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
WARD  HURLBURT,   M.D.,  Director  and  Chief   Medical  Officer,                                                               
Division  of  Public  Health, Department  of  Health  and  Social                                                               
Services (DHSS),  explained the fiscal  note for SB 144.  He said                                                               
that it  would put a  vaccination program into place  and replace                                                               
some of  the lost federal  funding. The fiscal note  is sensitive                                                               
to  the  cost  effectiveness   of  individual  immunizations  for                                                               
children  and adults.  He  pointed out  that,  overall, a  dollar                                                               
spent for  vaccines saves over $8  in health care costs  and over                                                               
$16 in time lost from work.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
He  noted  that three  vaccines  are  included  in the  bill  for                                                               
uninsured  adults: influenza,  pneumococcal,  and  Tdap, but  not                                                               
shingles due to expense. For  children, all vaccines required for                                                               
school   entry  are   included,  but   not  rotavirus,   HPV,  or                                                               
meningococcal  due to  high costs.  The fiscal  note totals  $2.9                                                               
million  and  there  is  some flexibility  in  the  program.  For                                                               
example,  if  more funds  were  to  be available,  the  rotavirus                                                               
vaccine could be added back in.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:41:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR EGAN  asked if  the three  vaccinations not  included for                                                               
children could be added back into the program.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DR. HURLBURT responded that they may be added at a later date.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER   noted  the  arrival   of  Representative                                                               
Miller.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS noted the arrival of Senator Meyer.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS  said she felt  the goals  of the committee  had been                                                               
met, and SB  144 would have further review in  the Senate Finance                                                               
Committee. She  pointed out that  the bill  has a sunset  date of                                                               
2015,  which would  allow time  for  a long-term  solution to  be                                                               
developed in  order to  provide immunizations  to those  who need                                                               
them. She  said she understood  that as money  becomes available,                                                               
it can immediately go toward funding more vaccinations.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
DR. HURLBURT  agreed. He said DHSS  will continue to try  to find                                                               
other  sources of  funding for  the program.  He listed  possible                                                               
options; turn the  program back to the state  or cover additional                                                               
vaccines.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:44:41 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  EGAN  moved  to  report   SB  144  from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached  fiscal note. There being                                                               
no  objection, SB  144 was  reported from  the Senate  Health and                                                               
Social Services Committee.