Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Vaccination Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee OKs reimbursement change aimed at widening access to RSV monoclonal shot for infants
Summary
Lawmakers passed House Bill 1619, a measure to add an RSV monoclonal antibody to the Vaccines for Children reimbursement program, raising the administrative fee to encourage clinics to stock and administer the product, sponsors and medical groups said.
House Bill 1619 passed the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee after extensive sponsor testimony describing access problems for a monoclonal-antibody product that reduces the risk that infants will be hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Representative Zach Gramlich, sponsor, recounted difficulty obtaining the product for his infant daughter, including inconsistent availability at pediatric offices and procurement hurdles. He said clinics were reluctant to stock the product because current reimbursement did not cover acquisition and administration costs.
"What this will do is it will put this particular shot with the Vaccines for Children reimbursement program, and it'll increase the cost from $13.14 to $19.54, which is about a $6 increase," Gramlich said. He added that Medicaid match would reduce the state share to less than $2 per dose and argued that preventing hospitalizations yields a strong return on investment. "Even a very conservative estimate... if we can keep 1 kid out of the hospital out of a hundred and 28 shots, it's a 610% return on investment," he said.
Anna Strong of the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics testified in support, describing the shot as a simple clinical administration that prevents hospitalizations and noting that the chapter was neutral on fiscal impact. Committee members also heard from other sponsor and agency participants that the Department of Human Services (DHS) is neutral on the measure.
After no opposition testimony was recorded, the committee voted by voice to pass the bill.
