| Alaska Summary of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Legislation |
| Issue |
Excerpts from Legislation/Rules & Regulations |
| Year Passed |
2006 |
HB109 |
Full
Implementation by: |
January 1, 2008 |
Statute: Sec. 2
Subject to the availability of appropriations to implement AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390, enacted by sec. 6 of this Act, the Department of Health and Social Services shall implement the program required by this Act so that 100 percent of all newborns and infants in the state are being screened for hearing loss by January 1, 2008.
Source: HB 109 |
Requires
Screening of: |
100% |
Statute: Sec. 2
Subject to the availability of appropriations to implement AS 47.20.300 - 47.20.390, enacted by sec. 6 of this Act, the Department of Health and Social Services shall implement the program required by this Act so that 100 percent of all newborns and infants in the state are being screened for hearing loss by January 1, 2008.
Source: HB 109 |
Advisory Committee
Established? |
Yes |
|
| Covered Benefit of Health Insurance? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.5
Coverage for newborn and infant hearing screening. (a) Except for a fraternal benefit society, a health care insurer that offers, issues for delivery, delivers, or renews in this state a health care insurance plan shall provide coverage for newborn and infant hearing screening under the schedule described in (b) of this section if the plan covers services provided to women during pregnancy and childbirth and the dependents of a covered individual. (b) The minimum coverage required under (a) of this section includes (1) a newborn or infant hearing screening to be performed within 30 days after the child's birth; and (2) if the initial screening under (1) of this subsection determines that the child may have a hearing impairment, a confirmatory hearing diagnostic evaluation. (c) The coverage required by this section may be subject to standard policy provisions that are applicable to other benefits, such as deductible or copayment provisions.
Source: HB 109 |
Report to
State DOH |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.6,
Sec. 47.20.320. Reporting and tracking program. (a) The department shall develop and implement a reporting and tracking system for newborns and infants screened for hearing loss in order to provide the department with information and data to effectively plan, establish, monitor, and evaluate the newborn and infant hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program. Evaluation of the program must include evaluation of the initial hearing screening, follow-up components, and the use and availability of the system of services for newborns and infants who are deaf or hard of hearing and their
families. (b) A physician or other person attending the birth in the state, or a hospital on behalf of a physician or other person attending the birth, shall report information related to hearing screening required under (a) of this section as specified by the department. A person who provides audiological confirmatory evaluation and diagnostic services for newborns and infants whose hearing was screened under AS 47.20.310 shall report information as specified by the department in regulation. (c) The information received under (b) of this section shall be compiled and maintained by the department in the tracking system. The information shall be kept confidential in accordance with the applicable provisions of 20 U.S.C. 1439 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), as amended by P.L. 105-17. Data collected by the department that was obtained from the medical records of the newborn or infant shall be for the confidential use of the department and are not public records subject to disclosure under AS 40.25.110. Aggregate statistical data without identifying information compiled from the information received is public information.Source: HB 109 |
Provision of
Educational
Materials? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.6
Sec. 47.20.340. Outreach campaign. The department shall conduct a community outreach and awareness campaign to inform medical providers, pregnant women, and families of newborns and infants of the newborn and infant hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program and the value of early hearing screening, tracking, and intervention.
Source: HB 109 |
| Informed Consent by Parents? |
Yes |
|
| Liability Immunity? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.6, Sec. 47.20.320
(d) A hospital or other health facility, clinical laboratory, audiologist, physician, registered nurse, certified nurse midwife, direct-entry midwife, officer or employee of a health facility or clinical laboratory, or an employee of an audiologist, physician, or registered nurse is not criminally or civilly liable for furnishing information in good faith to the department or its designee under this section. The furnishing of information in accordance with this section is not a violation of AS 08 or AS 18 or regulations adopted under AS 08 or AS 18 for licensees under those statutes.
Source: HB 109 |
| Parental Objection Exclusion? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.6, Sec. 47.20.310.
(f) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a physician or other person required to cause a newborn hearing screening under this section is exempt from this requirement if the parent of the newborn child objects to the screening procedure on the grounds that the procedure conflicts with the religious or other tenets and practices of the parent. The parent shall sign a statement that the parent knowingly refuses the
services, and the physician or other person shall have a copy of the signed statement retained in the hospital records of the birth and sent to the department for tracking under AS 47.20.320. Source: HB 109
|
| Hearing Impairment Defined? |
Yes |
Definition: Sec.6, Sec. 47.20.390. Definitions.
(5) "hearing loss" means a hearing loss of 40 decibels or greater in the
frequency region important for speech recognition and comprehension in one or both ears, approximately 500 through 4000 Hz;
Source: HB 109 |
