New Futures' Testimony in Support of the NH Vaccine Association

Re: New Futures’ testimony in opposition to HB 524, repealing the New Hampshire Vaccine Association

Dear Chair MacDonald and Members of the Committee:

New Futures appreciates the opportunity to testify in opposition to HB 524, repealing the New Hampshire Vaccine Association. New Futures is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates, educates, and collaborates to improve the health and wellness of all New Hampshire residents. In this role, we work extensively with policymakers, health care providers, and communities to improve overall public health and improve health equity across the Granite State.

New Futures supports public health policy measures that decrease illness and disease, including immunizations and programs that ensure equitable and broad distribution -especially for children. New Hampshire’s Vaccine for Children program does just that. In New Hampshire, all children through the age of 18 years can receive vaccines at no cost through an innovative program facilitated by the New Hampshire Vaccine Association (NHVA). By combining general funds, federal funds, and contributions from health insurance companies that do business in the state, the Department can purchase enough vaccines to provide every child in the state with all the immunizations recommended in the "Childhood Immunization Schedule, US." The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics have approved this schedule. [1]

HB 524 repeals the NHVA which would end our state's innovative system for providing equal access to vaccines for children at a reduced price.

What does the NHVA do?

The NHVA facilitates universal purchase of vaccines for the children of New Hampshire. By collecting payments from health plans, insurers, and other payers and remitting the funds to the state, they make it possible for:

• Physicians, clinics, and hospitals to receive state-supplied vaccines at no charge.
• Privately insured children to have easy access to critical vaccines.
• All payers to participate in one of the most efficient, cost-effective systems in the country for purchasing and distributing childhood vaccines.

What the NHVA does not do?

• The NHVA does not set vaccine policy. The NHVA is a funding mechanism only.
• The NHVA does not mandate vaccines or limit parent choice.
• The NHVA has nothing to do with determining what vaccines or doses are on the Vaccine For Children schedule.

What happens if the NHVA is repealed?

• Both insurance premiums and medical costs will increase for fully insured and self-funded employers. Insurance premiums would need to absorb both the private market vaccine pricing and provider markup, thus passing millions of dollars each year onto employers, employees, and families.
• Healthcare providers and insurers would need to spend costly administrative time processing vaccine insurance claims.
• Medical costs will increase due to decreased access to immunizations leading to ER and hospitalizations as well as the higher pricing that would result through loss of the federal pricing discounts.
• Unequal vaccine access for children and families, especially in the rural areas of the state.

Proponents of the bill say the state should not be in the business of vaccines. New Hampshire was the first state to create this innovative, cost-effective model- now 82% (41/50) of states have policies to purchase vaccines beyond what is available through the Federal VFC program to reduce cost barriers. Fourteen have replicated NH’s universal purchasing program.

New Futures thinks many people would agree that it is the state’s business to use taxpayer funds wisely, while providing equal access to life-saving immunizations and keeping health care costs down. This is good business, and all of this is made possible by the NH Vaccine Association’s role in our state’s public health infrastructure.

For these reasons, New Futures strongly urges the committee members to vote Inexpedient to Legislate on HB 524.

[1] https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/immunization/vfc.html