HB420 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Barry Mask

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Hemophilia and other blood disorders, blood clotting products used at home, specifications, duties to health care insurers, physicians, and pharmacies, Health Department to administer, Hemophilia Standards of Care Act

Summary

HB420 would create the Hemophilia Standards of Care Act to set standards of care for people with bleeding disorders, regulate home-use blood clotting products and insurers, require physician screening before invasive uterine procedures for menorrhagia, and empower the Health Department to implement the act.

What This Bill Does

It establishes standards of care for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and defines key terms. It requires pharmacies that distribute home-use blood clotting products to meet specific conditions, supply multiple brands, and provide necessary infusion equipment and nursing services, with 24/7 pharmacist availability and rapid shipping. It also requires insurers to cover prescribed therapies and related services, and it mandates physicians to screen for von Willebrand's disease and other bleeding disorders before advising invasive uterine procedures for heavy menstrual bleeding, while giving the Health Department authority to adopt rules and oversee implementation.

Who It Affects

• Persons with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and their families, who would receive home-use blood clotting products and related services
• Covered individuals with health insurance, who would gain new or expanded benefits for clotting products, services, and related care
• Insurers and their policyholders, who would be responsible for coverage of clotting products, physician services, and laboratory work
• Pharmacies, homecare companies, hemophilia treatment centers, and other providers that dispense clotting products and provide home infusion services
• Treating physicians and clinical coagulation laboratories, who would perform screenings and prescribe treatments
• Guardians of minors (for those under 18) who would rely on physician approvals for substitutions and home care services
• Alabama Department of Public Health, which would oversee rulemaking, compliance, and emergency planning related to the act

Key Provisions

• Creates the Hemophilia Standards of Care Act and defines key terms used in the act
• Requiresspharmacies that dispense home-use blood clotting products to follow prescribed treatment plans, obtain physician or guardian approval for substitutions, and supply all FDA-approved brands in suitable assay ranges
• Requires pharmacies to provide necessary ancillary infusion equipment, home infusion nursing services, and a 24/7 pharmacist on call
• Mandates shipping of prescribed products and equipment within 24 hours and maintaining records, including lifetime caps, for each patient
• Requires administrative assistance to help patients obtain payment for products and services and provide cost information upon request
• Requires pharmacies to notify patients and prescribers of recalls or withdrawals of products and equipment
• Requires pharmacies to provide disposal containers and to file an emergency plan with the Department of Public Health, accessible to the public
• Requires insurers to cover physician services, inpatient and outpatient care, blood clotting products, physician fees, and diagnostic laboratory services for people with hemophilia and related disorders
• Imposes a physician duty to conduct von Willebrand's disease and other bleeding disorder screenings before advising an invasive uterine surgery for menorrhagia
• Allows the Department to compile a list of full-service home-care pharmacies and adopt rules to implement the act
• Specifies the act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health