House File 2724 - Introduced



                                   HOUSE FILE       
                                   BY  COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

                                   (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2350)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act providing for the establishment of a program encouraging
  2    health care providers to test children for lead poisoning and
  3    providing a means for the department to serve as the payor of
  4    last resort.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  6 TLSB 6270HV 81
  7 rn/cf/24

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  135.105D  BLOOD LEAD TESTING ==
  1  2 PROVIDER EDUCATION == PAYOR OF LAST RESORT.
  1  3    1.  For purposes of this section:
  1  4    a.  "Blood lead testing" means taking a capillary or venous
  1  5 sample of blood and sending it to a laboratory to determine
  1  6 the level of lead in the blood.
  1  7    b.  "Capillary" means a blood sample taken from the finger
  1  8 or heel for lead analysis.
  1  9    c.  "Health care provider" means a physician who is
  1 10 licensed under chapter 148, 150, or 150A, or a person who is
  1 11 licensed as a physician assistant under chapter 148C, or as an
  1 12 advanced registered nurse practitioner.
  1 13    d.  "Venous" means a blood sample taken from a vein in the
  1 14 arm for lead analysis.
  1 15    2.  The department shall work with health care provider
  1 16 associations to educate health care providers regarding
  1 17 requirements for testing children who are enrolled in certain
  1 18 federally funded programs and regarding department
  1 19 recommendations for testing other children for lead poisoning.
  1 20    3.  The department shall implement blood lead testing for
  1 21 children under six years of age who are not eligible for the
  1 22 testing services to be paid by a third=party source.  The
  1 23 department shall contract with one or more public health
  1 24 laboratories to provide blood lead analysis for such children.
  1 25 The department shall establish by rule the procedures for
  1 26 health care providers to submit samples to the contracted
  1 27 public health laboratories for analysis.  The department shall
  1 28 also establish by rule a method to reimburse health care
  1 29 providers for drawing blood samples from such children and the
  1 30 dollar amount that the department will reimburse health care
  1 31 providers for the service.  Payment for blood lead analysis
  1 32 and drawing blood samples shall be limited to the amount
  1 33 appropriated for the program in a fiscal year.
  1 34                           EXPLANATION
  1 35    This bill establishes a blood lead testing requirement
  2  1 applicable to health care providers under specified
  2  2 circumstances.
  2  3    The bill directs the Iowa department of public health to
  2  4 work with health care provider associations to educate health
  2  5 care providers, as defined in the bill, regarding requirements
  2  6 for blood lead testing of children who are enrolled in certain
  2  7 federally funded programs, and regarding department
  2  8 recommendations for testing other children for lead poisoning.
  2  9    The bill provides that the department shall implement blood
  2 10 lead testing for children under six years of age who are not
  2 11 eligible for the testing services to be paid by a third=party
  2 12 source.  The bill specifies that the department shall contract
  2 13 with one or more public health laboratories to provide blood
  2 14 lead analysis, shall establish by rule the procedures for
  2 15 health care providers to submit samples to the contracted
  2 16 public health laboratories for analysis, and shall establish
  2 17 by rule a method to reimburse health care providers for
  2 18 drawing blood samples.  The bill provides that payment for
  2 19 blood lead analysis and drawing blood samples shall be limited
  2 20 to an amount as appropriated for the program.
  2 21 LSB 6270HV 81
  2 22 rn:nh/cf/24