ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 260
BY REPRESENTATIVES ALFRED WILLIAMS, BARROW, WESLEY BISHOP, BOUIE,
BURRELL, COX, GAINES, HALL, HONORE, HUNTER, TERRY LANDRY,
MACK, NORTON, PRICE, SMITH, THIERRY, PATRICK WILLIAMS,
WILLMOTT, AND WOODRUFF
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 40:1299.4.3 and 2018.3(D)(5) and (6), relative to health services for persons
3 with sickle cell disease; to establish a sickle cell patient navigator program and
4 provide for functions of the program; to provide for administration of the program
5 by the Department of Health and Hospitals under the direction of the Louisiana
6 Sickle Cell Commission; to provide for program implementation contingent upon
7 appropriation of funds; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 40:1299.4.3 and 2018.3(D)(5) and (6) are hereby enacted to read as
10 follows:
11 §1299.4.3. Sickle cell patient navigator program
12 A. The legislature hereby finds and declares the following:
13 (1) A large percentage of persons suffering from sickle cell disease in this
14 state are not in specialty care, even though the health consequences of going without
15 such care may be fatal.
16 (2) Insufficient access to specialty care is a major barrier to overall health
17 care for persons suffering from sickle cell disease.
18 (3) The purpose of this Section is to provide for a program to increase
19 statewide access to the types of specialty care that are critical to the health and well-
20 being of sickle cell patients.
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1 B. The Sickle Cell Patient Navigator Program, referred to hereafter in this
2 Section as "the program", is hereby established. The program shall operate in
3 accordance with the provisions of this Section.
4 C. The functions of the program shall include, without limitation, all of the
5 following:
6 (1) Training of patient navigators to serve as outreach coordinators,
7 coordinators of family educational sessions, and patient case managers.
8 (2) Establishing and strengthening a continuum of care for each sickle cell
9 patient served by the program and for the families of those patients.
10 (3) Identifying and contacting sickle cell patients, conducting home visits
11 with patients and their family members, and coordinating patient care.
12 (4) Facilitating collaboration among healthcare providers that serve sickle
13 cell patients.
14 (5) Delivering public health education on sickle cell disease and treatment.
15 D. The Department of Health and Hospitals shall administer the program
16 under the direction of the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission placed within the
17 department by the provisions of R.S. 36:259(NN).
18 E. This Section and the Sickle Cell Patient Navigator Program shall not be
19 implemented or operational until monies have been appropriated by the legislature
20 sufficient to fully fund these provisions.
21 * * *
22 §2018.3. Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission
23 * * *
24 D. The functions of the commission shall be to:
25 * * *
26 (5) Direct the Sickle Cell Patient Navigator Program established by the
27 provisions of R.S. 40:1299.4.3.
28 (6) Applying for grants and donations from any public or private source to
29 implement the provisions of this Subsection.
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1 Section 2. The Louisiana State Law Institute is hereby authorized to redesignate the
2 number of any Section of statute enacted by this Act in a manner that comports with the
3 technical recodification provisions of House Concurrent Resolution No. 84 of this 2015
4 Regular Session of the Legislature.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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