IdahoReporter.com

The plan to reshape funding for Idaho’s childhood immunization program is headed for the state Senate after passing overwhelmingly in the House. Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said the new program would rely on insurance companies to pool their money to buy a universal pool of vaccines for children in Idaho. “Essentially it’s a tax on themselves,” Cameron said about insurers. “The [legislation will] create a mechanism by which the insurance industry can assess themselves and help buy those vaccines at that lower, discounted rate.” Under the plan, no state tax dollars would pay for vaccines.
If the Senate passes the proposed legislation, the first assessment on insurance companies, based on the number of children eligible for vaccines they cover, would take place in April. A new nine-member immunization panel would oversee assessing and spending those fees. The Idaho Association of Health Plans, which represents health insurance companies, supports the plan to create a universal pool for immunizations because it will cost less to buy vaccines, thanks to bulk discounts and federal incentives. The assessments would also apply to third-party health insurers, which provide health care plans to some businesses. Some employer-run insurance plans are exempt from state health care regulations due to a federal law called Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). “The major business entities have agreed that, although they don’t like us going around ERISA, they have agreed that it is cost-beneficial to them and it is a beneficial item to the state that we can have children immunized at the same level whether they are insured or uninsured.”
Cameron and members of the medical field spoke in favor of the proposal to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Tuesday. “Most doctors offices are really small businesses,” Dr. Patrice Burgess of Boise said. “Purchasing the vaccine without the discount is very expensive.” She said money spent on vaccines goes a long way. “A dollar spent now saves hundreds if not thousands later. Any infection you could prevent in children that could result in a hospital stay, possibly even an ICU stay, is avoidable for expense reasons but also quality of life reasons.”
Corey Surber, the advocacy and community health coordinator with St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, said the immunization assessments should help more children receive vaccines. “We already have pretty dismal immunization rates,” she said. “Just the purchase of the vaccine is really only the first step.” There is another proposal in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee to make the state’s Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS) computer database an opt-out system for children instead of an opt-in. That change would likely lead to more children being part of the registry and could lead to higher immunization rates.