West Virginia Code § 16-3C-2

HIV-related testing; methods for obtaining consent; billing patient health
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care providers.
(a) HIV-related testing should be recommended by healthcare providers as part of a routine
screening for treatable conditions and as part of routine prenatal and perinatal care. A
physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, physician assistant or the
commissioner may also request targeted testing for any of the following: e
(1) When there is cause to believe that the test could be positive. Persons who engage in
high risk behavior should be encouraged to be screened for HIV at least annually;
(2) When there is cause to believe that the test could provide information important in the
care of the patient; or
(3) When there is cause to believe that the results of HaIV-testing of samples of blood or body
fluids from a source patient could provide information important in the care of medical or
emergency responders or other persons identified lin rules proposed by the department for
approval by the Legislature in accordance witsh the provisions of article three, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code: Provided, That the source patient whose blood or body fluids is
being tested pursuant to this section musti have come into contact with a medical or
emergency responder or other persogn in such a way that a significant exposure has
occurred;
(4) When there is no record of any HIV-related or other sexually transmitted disease testing
during pregnancy and the woman presents for labor and delivery.
(b) All health care providers, the bureau or a local health department that routinely bill
insurance companies or other third-party providers may bill for HIV-related testing and
treatment. V
(c) A patient consents to HIV-related testing when:
(1) The patient is informed either orally or in writing that:
(A) HIV-related testing will be performed as part of his or her routine care;
(B) HIV-related testing is voluntary; and
(C) He or she may decline HIV-related testing (opt-out); or
(2) The patient is informed that the patient's general consent for medical care includes
consent for HIV-related testing.
(d) A patient who opts-out of HIV-related testing must be informed that HIV-related testing
may be obtained anonymously at a local or county health department.
(e) Any person seeking an HIV-related test in a local or county health department or at
other HIV test setting provided by the commissioner who wishes to remain anonymous has
the right to do so and must be provided written informed consent through the use of a coded
system with no linking of individual identity to the test request or results.
(f) County or local health departments that routinely bill insurance companies or other third-
party payers for service may bill for an HIV-related test if the person requeseting the test
does not request anonymity. No person may be refused a test at a local health department
due to a lack of insurance or due to a request to remain anonymous. r
(g) A person may not decline or opt-out of HIV-related testing anud the provisions of
subsections (a) and (c) of this section do not apply when:
(1) A health care provider or health facility procures, processes, distributes or uses:
(A) A human body part, including tissue and blood or blood products, donated for:
(i) A purpose specified under the uniform anatomical gift act; or
(ii) Transplant recipients;
(B) Semen provided for the purpose of artificial insemination and an HIV-related test is
necessary to ensure medical acceptability of a recipient or such gift or semen for the
purposes intended;
(2) A person is unable oLr unwilling to grant or withhold consent as the result of a
documented bona fide medical emergency, as determined by a treating physician taking into
account the nature a nd extent of the exposure to another person and the HIV-related test
results are necessary for medical diagnostic purposes to provide appropriate emergency
care or treatment to a medical or emergency responder, or any other person who has come
into contact with a source patient in such a way that a significant exposure necessitates HIV
testing or to a source patient who is unable to consent in accordance with rules proposed by
the department for approval by the Legislature in accordance with article three, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code: Provided, That necessary treatment may not be withheld pending
HIV test results: Provided, however, That all sampling and HIV testing of samples of blood
and body fluids, without the opportunity for the source patient or patient's representative to
opt-out of the testing, shall be through the use of a pseudonym and in accordance with rules
proposed by the department for approval by the Legislature in accordance with article three,
chapter twenty-nine-a of this code; or
(3) The performance of an HIV-related test for the purpose of research if the testing is
performed in a manner by which the identity of the test subject is not known and may not be
retrieved by the researcher.
(h) Mandated testing:
(1) The performance of any HIV-related testing that is or becomes mandatory by court order
or other legal process described herein does not require consent of the subject but will
include counseling.
(2) The court having jurisdiction of the criminal prosecution shall order that an HIV-related
test be performed on any persons charged with any of the following crimes or offenses:
(i) Prostitution; or
(ii) Sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual molestation.
(3) HIV-related tests performed on persons charged with prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual
assault, incest or sexual molestation shall be confidentially administered by a designee of the
bureau or the local or county health department having proper jurisdiction. The
commissioner may designate health care providers in raegional jail facilities to administer
HIV-related tests on such persons if he or she determines it necessary and expedient.
(4) Costs associated with tests performed on persons charged with prostitution, sexual
abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual molestation may be charged to the defendant or
juvenile respondent unless a court determiines that the person charged with prostitution,
sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual molestation is pecuniary unable to pay.
(A) If a person charged with prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual
molestation who is ordered to be tested is unable to pay, the cost of the HIV testing may be
borne by the regional jail or other correctional or juvenile facility, the bureau or the local
health department.
(B) If persons charge d with prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual
molestation wVho is ordered to be tested has health insurance, the local health department or
other providers performing the test may bill the health insurance of the person charged with
prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual molestation for the cost of the
test.
(C) A person charged with prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual
molestation ordered to submit to a HIV-related test may not be permitted to remain
anonymous and a local health department may administer and bill for the test.
(5) When the Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health knows or has reason to believe,
because of medical or epidemiological information, that a person, including, but not limited
to, a person such as an IV drug abuser, or a person who may have a sexually transmitted
disease, or a person who has sexually molested, abused or assaulted another, has HIV
infection and is or may be a danger to the public health, he or she may issue an order to:
(i) Require a person to be examined and tested to determine whether the person has HIV
infection;
(ii) Require a person with HIV infection to report to a qualified physician or health worker
for counseling; and
(iii) Direct a person with HIV infection to cease and desist from specified conduct which
endangers the health of others.
(6) If any person violates a cease and desist order issued pursuant to this section and, by
virtue of that violation, the person presents a danger to the health of others, the
commissioner shall apply to the circuit court of Kanawha County to enforce the cease and
desist order by imposing any restrictions upon the person that are necessary to prevent the
specific conduct that endangers the health of others. u
(7) A person convicted of the offenses described in this section shall be required to undergo
HIV-related testing and counseling immediately upon conviction and the court having
jurisdiction of the criminal prosecution may not releasae the convicted person from custody
and shall revoke any order admitting the defendant to bail until HIV-related testing and
counseling have been performed and the result is klnown. The HIV-related test result
obtained from the convicted person is to be trsansmitted to the court and, after the convicted
person is sentenced, made part of the court record. If the convicted person is placed in the
custody of the Division of Corrections, the court shall transmit a copy of the convicted
person's HIV-related test results to tghe Division of Corrections. The HIV-related test results
shall be closed and confidential and disclosed by the court and the bureau only in
accordance with the provisiones of section three of this article.
(8) The prosecuting attorney shall inform the victim, or parent or guardian of the victim, at
the earliest stage of the proceedings of the availability of voluntary HIV-related testing and
counseling conducted by the bureau and that his or her best health interest would be served
by submitting to HIV-related testing and counseling. HIV-related testing for the victim shall
be administered at his or her request on a confidential basis and shall be administered in
accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of the United
StaWtes Public Health Service in effect at the time of such request. The victim who obtains an
HIV-related test shall be provided with pre and post-test counseling regarding the nature,
reliability and significance of the HIV-related test and the confidential nature of the test.
HIV-related testing and counseling conducted pursuant to this subsection shall be performed
by the designee of the commissioner of the bureau or by any local or county health
department having proper jurisdiction.
(9) If a person receives counseling or is tested under this subsection and is found to be HIV
infected and the person is not incarcerated, the person shall be referred by the health care
provider performing the counseling or testing for appropriate medical care and support
services. The local or county health departments or any other agency under this subsection
may not be financially responsible for medical care and support services.
(10) The commissioner of the bureau or his or her designees may require a person to
undergo an HIV or other sexually transmitted disease test if a person was possibly exposed
to HIV or other sexually transmitted disease infected blood or other body fluids as a result of
receiving or rendering emergency medical aid, providing funeral services or providing law-
enforcement services. The commissioner of the bureau or his or her designees may use the
results to determine the appropriate therapy, counseling and psychological support for the
exposed person.(11) If an HIV-related test required on persons convicted of prostitution,
sexual abuse, sexual assault, incest or sexual molestation results in a negative reaction, upon
motion of the state, the court having jurisdiction over the criminal prosecutieon may require
the subject of the test to submit to further HIV-related tests performed under the direction
of the bureau in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prrevention guidelines
of the United States Public Health Service in effect at the time of the motion of the state.
(12) The costs of mandated testing and counseling provided under this subsection and pre
and postconviction HIV-related testing and counseling provitded the victim under the
direction of the bureau pursuant to this subsection shall be paid by the by the individual to
be tested or counseled or his or her medical insurance provider, if possible.
(13) The court having jurisdiction of the criminal prosecution shall order a person convicted
of prostitution, sexual abuse, sexual assault, inscest or sexual molestation to pay restitution to
the state or the victim for the costs of any HIV-related testing and counseling provided the
convicted person and the victim, unless the court has determined the convicted person to be
indigent. g
(14) Any funds recovered by thee state as a result of an award of restitution under this
subsection shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of a special revenue fund to be
known as the HIV-testinLg Fund which is hereby created. The moneys so credited to the fund
may be used solely by the bureau for the purposes of facilitating the performance of HIV-
related testing and counseling under the provisions of this article.
(i) Nothing in this section is applicable to any insurer regulated under chapter thirty-three of
this code: Provided, That the commissioner of insurance shall develop standards regarding
conWsent for use by insurers which test for the presence of the HIV antibody.
(j) Whenever consent of the subject to the performance of HIV-related testing is required
under this article, any such consent obtained, whether orally or in writing, shall be
considered to be a valid and informed consent if it is given after compliance with the
provisions of subsection (c) of this section.

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