ASSEMBLY, No. 944

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman FELICE

An Act concerning the provision of certain childhood vaccines and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program Act."

    2. As used in this act:

    "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health.

    "Program" means the Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program.

    "Vaccines" means the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccine, the oral live polio vaccine and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.

    3. The commissioner shall establish the Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program in conjunction with the Commissioner of Human Services, subject to federal participation.

    a. The commissioner shall establish a contract with the federal Centers for Disease Control to purchase vaccines for distribution to health care providers who are participating in the Medicaid program established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.), who are eligible to order and receive vaccines. The vaccines shall be used for the immunization of eligible Medicaid recipients, according to guidelines established by the commissioner in conjunction with the Commissioner of Human Services. Participating providers shall order the vaccines directly from the Department of Health.

    b. The commissioner and the Commissioner of Human Services shall establish a written interagency agreement setting forth their mutual responsibilities under the program.

    c. The commissioner shall be responsible for the storage, maintenance and distribution to eligible health care providers of the vaccines purchased under the program.

    d. A health care provider who receives vaccines through this program at no cost to the provider shall not be reimbursed by the Medicaid program for the cost of the vaccines but only for the cost of administering the vaccines to an eligible Medicaid recipient.

    4. The commissioner and the Commissioner of Human Services shall conduct a joint review, analysis and evaluation of the program and shall report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 18 months after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, on the operations and future needs of the program, and shall include in that report detailed financial data including, but not limited to, the cost to the State of purchasing and storing the vaccines, the number of providers participating in the program and the cost savings to the Medicaid program as a result of this program.

    5. The commissioner, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Human Services and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to establish the Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program in conjunction with the Commissioner of Human Services. The program will enable Medicaid providers to receive childhood vaccines (for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and oral polio virus) for the immunization of eligible Medicaid recipients from the Department of Health through a contract with the federal Centers for Disease Control, rather than having to purchase these vaccines on the open market where the cost is substantially greater.

    The bill also requires the Commissioners of Health and Human Services to conduct a joint review, analysis and evaluation of the Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program and to report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 18 months after the effective date of the bill, and annually thereafter, on the operations and future needs of the program. The report shall include detailed financial data including, but not limited to, the cost to the State of purchasing and storing the vaccines, the number of providers participating in the program and the cost savings to the Medicaid program as a result of this program.

Designated the "Interagency Vaccine Procurement Program Act."