"Administration Proposes Smallpox Vaccine Compensation Plan"

[Kazzi, A. Antoine]

-----Original Message-----
From: AAEM [mailto:info@aaem.org] 
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 6:55 AM
To: akazzi@attglobal.net
Subject: Smallpox Proposals


To: AAEM members
Re: Smallpox Proposals

"Administration Proposes Smallpox Vaccine Compensation Plan"

On March 5, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson proposed a plan for the
Administration to create a smallpox vaccination compensation program to
provide benefits to public health and medical response team members
injured from receiving the smallpox vaccine. The proposed program
includes provisions similar to the benefits package currently available to
police officers and firefighters.

The benefits package would be administered by HHS and be retroactive
to cover those who already have been vaccinated under the program.
The four elements of the plan include:

Permanent and total disability benefit:  HHS would create a benefit
modeled on the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program to offer
a $262,100 permanent and total disability benefit for disability caused
by the administration of the vaccine.

Death benefit:  HHS would create a benefit modeled on the PSOB to offer
a $262,100 death benefit for deaths caused by administration of the
vaccine.

Temporary or partial disability benefit:  HHS would compensate individuals
for two-thirds of lost wages after the fifth day from work, up to a
maximum of $50,000.

Health care benefit:  HHS would compensate individuals for their
reasonable out-of-pocket medical expenses for other than minor
injuries.

Additionally, HHS would provide compensation to third parties who
contract vaccinia from public health and medical response team workers
who have been vaccinated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waxman Introduces Smallpox Vaccine Compensation Bill

On February 13, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced a bill  -
H.R.865, the Smallpox Vaccine Compensation and Safety Act of 2003 - 
that authorizes $850 million to fund a smallpox vaccination compensation
program for FY 2003 and "necessary" funds for subsequent years. The
bill also allows states to apply for grants to cover the cost of
administering a vaccination program.

H.R.865 provides several protections for workers who consider being
vaccinated, such as: 

**An education program to ensure that individuals are informed of the
risks and benefits of vaccine for  themselves and others with whom they
have close contact;

**A screening program that identifies health conditions that can
reasonably be expected to increase significantly risks to the individual;

**A medical surveillance and evaluation program;

**A provision that the vaccine would be administered with a sheathed
bifurcated needle;

**A provision to protect workers from disciplinary action for refusing to
receive a vaccination and provide procedures for filing complaints; and

**Paid medical leave of four workdays because of a health condition
resulting from receiving the vaccine or coming in close contact with
someone else who has been vaccinated.

The Senate has not yet come forward with its own version of a
compensation bill. On January 30, a bipartisan group of senators
announced its intent to draft such a bill during a Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on the Bush
Administration's smallpox vaccination.



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