| Arkansas Summary of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Legislation |
| Issue |
Excerpts from Legislation/Rules & Regulations |
| Year Passed |
1999 |
SB 819 / RULES |
Full
Implementation by: |
July 1, 2000 |
Statute: Sec 4. (a) After the effective date of this act and promulgation of rules and regulations, every birthing hospital in this state with more than fifty (50) births per year shall provide or arrange for a bilateral physiological hearing screening on each birth admission.
Source: SB 819, 1999
Rule: Sec.4. Responsibility. Beginning July 1, 200 every birthing hospital in this state with more than fifty (50) births per year shall provide or arrange for a bilateral physiological hearing screening on each birth admission. Hospitals with fifty (50) or fewer births per year which elect to provide bilateral physiological hearing screening are subject to the provisions set forth in these rules and regulations.
Source: Arkansas Code Annotated 20-15-1501 |
Requires
Screening of: |
Hospitals >50 births |
Statute: Sec 4. (a) After the effective date of this act and promulgation of rules and regulations, every birthing hospital in this state with more than fifty (50) births per year shall provide or arrange for a bilateral physiological hearing screening on each birth admission.
Source: SB 819, 1999
Rule: Sec.4. Responsibility. Beginning July 1, 200 every birthing hospital in this state with more than fifty (50) births per year shall provide or arrange for a bilateral physiological hearing screening on each birth admission. Hospitals with fifty (50) or fewer births per year which elect to provide bilateral physiological hearing screening are subject to the provisions set forth in these rules and regulations.
Source: Arkansas Code Annotated 20-15-1501 |
Advisory Committee
Established? |
Yes |
Statute: Section 3. (a) There is created the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention Advisory Board; (b) The board shall be composed of seven (7) members, appointed by the Governor, with recommendation from the Arkansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association from the following professions or groups: ... (g) The board shall have the authority to recommend rules and regulations to implement this act; the department shall promulgate these rules and regulations by July 1, 2000.
Source: SB 819, 1999 |
| Covered Benefit of Health Insurance? |
Medicaid |
Statute: Sec.4. (a) ... Medicaid shall reimburse the birthing hospital for the physiological screening the reimbursement equal to that amount paid outpatient providers for the same service in addition to the current rate of per diem paid to the hospital ...
Source: SB 819, 1999 |
Report to
State DOH |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.4. (b) Any birthing hospital, provider or physician administering initial hearing screenings to newborns and infants shall forward test results on a screening report to the department by the fifteenth (15th) day of the month following the month in which the test was conducted.
Source: SB 819, 1999
Rule: A. (8) Each hospital shall report to the Department, annual basis on July 1, and to amend any information within 30 days of a change, the following:
(a) the name of the person designated as the single point of contact; (b) name of advising audiologist; (c) equipment utilized; (d) equipment calibration records; (e) whether the hearing screening program is conducted with hospital personnel or is contracted to an outside entity; (f) name of person(s) providing staff training on the equipment; (g) name(s) of persons competent to perform hearing screenings within the hospital; (h) screening protocols; (i) test procedures used by the facility’s newborn hearing screening program; (j) pass criteria that minimally meet guidelines established by the Board; and (k) a description of the quality/performance improvement program. The reporting form shall be provided to hospitals by the Department.
Source: Arkansas Code Annotated 20-15-1501, 1999 |
Provision of
Educational
Materials? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.4. (c) Any birthing hospital, provider or physician screening newborns and infants shall provide information on locations at which medical and audiological follow-up care and follow-up screening can be obtained by the parents or guardians of the newborn and infant.
Source: SB 819, 1999 |
| Informed Consent by Parents? |
|
|
| Liability Immunity? |
|
|
| Parental Objection Exclusion? |
Yes |
Statute: Sec.5. No test is be performed if the parent of a newborn/infant dissents on the ground that the test conflicts with personal religious belief or practice.
Source: SB 819, 1999
Rule: Sec.V. No test to be performed if the parent of a newborn/infant dissents on the ground that the test conflicts with personal religious belief pr practice.
Source: Arkansas Code Annotated 20-15-1501, 1999 |
| Hearing Impairment Defined? |
Yes |
Definition: Sec.2, (7)
(7) "Hearing loss" means an impairment that is a dysfunction of the auditory system of any type or degree sufficient to interfere with acquisition and development of speech and language skills;
Source: SB 819 |
