North Carolina
North
Carolina State Budget Plan Brings Change to Immunization Program
After
weeks of deliberation that concluded on June 30, just hours before
the start of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, legislators gave their
final approval to a $19 billion state budget plan.
Section
10.13 of the budget addresses immunization reimbursement changes
and amends Section 10.29A of SL 2009-451 to eliminate the state
appropriation for the purchase of childhood vaccines required
by the North Carolina Immunization Program and recommended by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This provision
was based on the General Assembly’s findings that the costs
for these vaccines are reimbursable by health insurers and supplied
for uninsured and underinsured children through the federal Vaccine
for Children program.
The
entire state budget can be viewed by clicking
here.
(Added
07/07/2010)
House Bill 589 - Payment for Hearing Aids
House
Bill 589, regarding payment for hearing aids, was signed into
law
by North Carolina’s Governor. This bill requires
every health benefit plan, including the State Health Plan for
Teachers and State Employees, to provide coverage for one hearing
aid per hearing-impaired ear (up to $2,500 per hearing aid) every
36 months for covered individuals under age 22. Nothing prevents
an insurer from applying utilization review criteria to determine
medical necessity as defined by G.S. 58-50-61, as long as it
does so in accordance with all requirements for utilization
review programs
and medical necessity determinations specified in that section,
including the offering of an insurer appeal process and, if applicable,
a health benefit plans external review.
House
Bill 589 is located by clicking
here.
(Added
06/08/10)
South Carolina
House
Bill 3371 – Health
Care Insurance Continuation of Care Provisions
The Governor of South Carolina signed House Bill 3371 into law on March 31,
2010, addressing insurer liability for continuity of care for members, following
the network termination or nonrenewal of a healthcare provider. Although effective
at signature date, the law applies to individual health plans, group health
plans, or health benefit plans (including the state health plan) that are issued,
renewed, delivered, or entered into after December 31, 2010.
House Bill 3371
is located by clicking
here.
(Added 04/15/10)