State wants insurance firms to report cases of communicable disease

The state Health Division was to decide today whether insurance companies doing business in Nevada will be required to report communicable-disease findings to health officials.

According to Randall Todd, state epidemiologist, all blood tests for prospective life insurance clients are sent to Kansas for analysis. If a person tests positive for a communicable disease -- such as AIDS, anthrax, cholera, hantavirus and even mumps -- the names of these people can't be revealed, in accordance with Kansas law.

That poses a dilemma for Nevada, a state requiring that identities of people with communicable diseases be reported to the state Health Division. Todd said Kansas officials only inform Nevada officials when a communicable disease case exists, but doesn't pinpoint the source.

"We won't know if an infected person is informed, receiving counseling or was contacted for further testing," Todd said. "These people need to know that there are certain treatments available to prolong their lives."

But the insurance companies argue that revealing the names will breach the patient/doctor confidentiality relationship. The Health Insurance Association of America, in a written statement, said:

"Our fear is that an all-encompassing rule such as this proposed rule could have significant unintended consequences, unless careful consideration is given to its interplay with current statutory and regulatory requirements and industry practices."

The association also questioned whether the state Health Division has the authority to impose such a regulation on insurers.

"All we are trying to do is bring insurance companies under the same umbrella of agencies that already report," Todd said. "Communicable diseases should be reported to the public. We are not telling insurance companies to report everything, just what they are testing for."

Todd said if the Health Division approves the regulatory change, it would take effect in 30 days.

archive