Senate Bill 13-222 Summary

• Establishes a task force of stakeholders to develop recommendations for improving childhood immunization financing, ordering, and delivery systems in Colorado, including primary care providers, pharmacists, health insurers, and public health agencies.

• Authorizes the Department of Public Health and Environment to create an optional vaccine purchasing system that may include vaccines for privately insured individuals, while preserving existing vaccine delivery models and provider choice.

• Allows the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to purchase vaccines through a unified purchasing system for children enrolled in the Children's Basic Health Plan.

• Modifies the immunization fund to support vaccine purchases through a centralized purchasing system and expands the fund's eligible uses to include expanded access to childhood immunizations.

• Appropriates $68,054 and 1.0 FTE to the Department of Public Health and Environment for fiscal year 2013-2014 to implement the bill.