On May 10, the Indiana State Department of Health’s Executive Committee adopted a communicable disease reporting rule that creates new responsibilities for local health officers. The rule is expected to be effective in September.

410 IAC 1-2.3-87 requires local health officers to:

• Monitor children who are six years of age or younger who have elevated blood lead levels. Elevated blood lead levels are those levels greater than 10 μg/dL. Monitoring shall include case management if not already accomplished and environmental assessment. Only licensed risk assessors may conduct environmental assessments according to state rules.
• Ensure that additional testing is accomplished in accordance with an action schedule ranging between immediate to three months depending on the level.

Also, private labs will be required to report elevated blood lead levels in children six years or younger to ISDH within one week and all levels on a quarterly basis.

In addition, Medicaid soon will be implementing a September 1998 federal mandate that requires Medicaid to reimburse local health departments for case management and environmental investigations of elevated blood lead levels. ISDH and the Family and Social Services Administration are developing a business plan for this mandated work within the next six months.

See IKE's broader effort on lead poisoning prevention for more details.