Text of Statute

(A) Each hospital, in accordance with rules adopted by the public health council under section 3701.504 [3701.50.4] of the Revised Code, shall provide risk screening of newborn infants and shall promptly notify an infant's primary care physician and the department of health of the name of any infant who is identified by a risk screening as at risk for hearing impairment under the criteria established by the department of health under division (A) of section 3701.504 [3701.50.4] of the Revised Code, and of the name and address of the infant's parent, guardian, or custodian.

(B)(1) If an infant is identified as at risk for hearing impairment and the hospital at which the identification was made also provides hearing assessment, the hospital shall provide a hearing assessment for the infant; if the hospital does not provide hearing assessment, the hospital shall provide the infant's parent, guardian, or custodian with a list of hospitals, clinics, or other facilities located within a reasonable distance of the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's address that provide hearing assessment.

(2) Each hospital that provides a hearing assessment shall prepare and provide to the infant's parent, guardian, or custodian a list of hospitals, clinics, or other facilities located within a reasonable distance of the parent's, guardian's or custodian's address that provide follow-up hearing evaluations.

(3) Whenever a hearing assessment identifies an infant as being hearing impaired, the hospital, clinic, or other facility providing the assessment shall promptly notify the infant's primary care physician and the department of health of the infant's name and the name and address of the infant's parent, guardian, or custodian.

(C) Any hospital, clinic, or other facility providing a hearing assessment in accordance with division (B) of this section shall be reimbursed by the department of health at a rate determined by the director of health, if both of the following are the case:

(1) The assessment is performed before the infant attains nine months of age;

(2) The parent, guardian, or custodian is financially unable to pay for the hearing assessment and the hospital, clinic, or other facility is not reimbursed by a third-party payer.

The public health council shall adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for determining whether a person is financially unable to pay for a hearing assessment and defining third-party payer for the purpose of this section.

HISTORY: 142 v S 77. Eff 1-1-89.