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2019 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1700 (Conference Report)

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Long Acting Reversible Contraception Initiative (language only)

Item 292 #1c

Item 292 #1c

Health and Human Resources
Department of Health

Language

Page 305, strike lines 26 through 49, and insert:

"F.  The Virginia Department of Health shall end its contracts with sub-recipients of the Virginia Long-Acting Reversible Contraception program by June 30, 2019.  Out of any remaining unused appropriation for this initiative, the department shall only use such funds for the purchase of hormonal long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) devices and implement a program to make such devices available to local health departments and other health care providers at no cost.  The department shall only accept applications from health care providers that agree to provide the LARC devices, at no charge, to their patients, whose income is below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall have authority to operate as a wholesale distributor of prescription drugs, which shall be limited to only hormonal long-acting reversible contraception devices. The department shall negotiate or utilize the most cost-effective methods for purchasing LARCs in order to maximize the number to be purchased.   The department shall report within 30 days after the close of each quarter with a status update to include: (i) the number of LARCs purchased and the unit price; and (ii) the number of LARCs distributed in total and by health care provider.  The status update shall be submitted to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees."



Explanation

(This amendment changes the long-acting reversible contraception initiative from a reimbursement program with contracted providers to one in which the Virginia Department of Health purchases the LARCs and makes them available at no cost to health care providers.)