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Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (view source)
Revision as of 03:52, January 22, 2008
, 03:52, January 22, 2008A quick article on the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program; and please give me night time edit privs. Thanks.
The '''Vaccine Injury Compensation Program''' (VICP) is a no-fault fund set up in 1988 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to indemnify medical doctors and vaccine manufacturers from liability in cases of injuries caused by vaccines.
The maximum benefit for death is $250,000 plus attorneys'.<ref name="Filinig a claim"/> As of 2007, the fund had paid out $1.18 billion to 1,500 victims, including attorneys' fees, burial and medical costs, for an average payout that exceeds $786,000 per victim.<ref name="About NVICP">{{hnb|United States Department of Justice|2000}}</ref>
The vaccines covered by the compensation service are those aimed at protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), polio, hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), ''Hemophilus influenzae'' type b, and [[rotavirus]]. Pneumococcal vaccine is expected to be covered soon.
== Criticisms of the program ==
Under the no-fault VICP system, medical doctors have no financial risk in recommending vaccinations because the government indemnifies them and their malpractice insurance against tort claims resulting from vaccine injuries.
VICP requires a $250 filing fee, and requires the mother of the victim to submit her own prenatal medical records for scrutiny.<ref name="Filinig a claim">{{hnb|United States Department of Health and Human Services|2008}}</ref> The average claim takes two years to resolve.<ref name="Balbier">{{hnb|Balbier|1999}}</ref> These hurdles discourage the filing of smaller claims, such as lost wages and costs associated with short term hospitalization for high fever and dehydration not causing permanent damage. The maximum benefit for death is $250,000 plus attorneys' fees.<ref name="Filinig a claim"/> Thomas E. Balbier, Jr. testified that "there are going to be eligibility requirements which seem unfair to some applicants."<ref name="Balbier"/>
== See also ==
* [http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/filing_claim.htm Filing a Claim with the VICP]
* [[The Lottery]] a short story by Shirley Jackson
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Sources ==
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Balbier
| Given = Thomas E., Jr.
| Year = 1999
| Date = 1999-09-28
| Title = Statement on National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by Thomas E. Balbier, Jr.
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t990928b.html
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Pear
| Given = Robert
| Year = 2008
| Date = 2008-01-21
| Title = Threats and Responses: Leagal Risks; For Victims of Vaccine, Winning Case Will Be Hard
| Publisher = [[The New York Times]]
| URL = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E2DC1E3AF937A25751C1A9649C8B63
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Justice
| Given = USDOJ
| Year = 2000
| Date = 2000-11-27
| Title = About the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/torts/const/vicp/about.htm
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Health and Human Services
| Given = HRSA
| Year = 2008
| Title = Filing a Claim with the VICP
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/filing_claim.htm
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Health and Human Services
| Given = HRSA
| Year = 2007
| Date = 2007-04-20
| Title = National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) About VICP
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
<!-- *{{Harvard reference
| Surname =
| Given =
| Year =
| Date =
| Title =
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL =
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21 -->
The maximum benefit for death is $250,000 plus attorneys'.<ref name="Filinig a claim"/> As of 2007, the fund had paid out $1.18 billion to 1,500 victims, including attorneys' fees, burial and medical costs, for an average payout that exceeds $786,000 per victim.<ref name="About NVICP">{{hnb|United States Department of Justice|2000}}</ref>
The vaccines covered by the compensation service are those aimed at protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), polio, hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), ''Hemophilus influenzae'' type b, and [[rotavirus]]. Pneumococcal vaccine is expected to be covered soon.
== Criticisms of the program ==
Under the no-fault VICP system, medical doctors have no financial risk in recommending vaccinations because the government indemnifies them and their malpractice insurance against tort claims resulting from vaccine injuries.
VICP requires a $250 filing fee, and requires the mother of the victim to submit her own prenatal medical records for scrutiny.<ref name="Filinig a claim">{{hnb|United States Department of Health and Human Services|2008}}</ref> The average claim takes two years to resolve.<ref name="Balbier">{{hnb|Balbier|1999}}</ref> These hurdles discourage the filing of smaller claims, such as lost wages and costs associated with short term hospitalization for high fever and dehydration not causing permanent damage. The maximum benefit for death is $250,000 plus attorneys' fees.<ref name="Filinig a claim"/> Thomas E. Balbier, Jr. testified that "there are going to be eligibility requirements which seem unfair to some applicants."<ref name="Balbier"/>
== See also ==
* [http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/filing_claim.htm Filing a Claim with the VICP]
* [[The Lottery]] a short story by Shirley Jackson
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Sources ==
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Balbier
| Given = Thomas E., Jr.
| Year = 1999
| Date = 1999-09-28
| Title = Statement on National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by Thomas E. Balbier, Jr.
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t990928b.html
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Pear
| Given = Robert
| Year = 2008
| Date = 2008-01-21
| Title = Threats and Responses: Leagal Risks; For Victims of Vaccine, Winning Case Will Be Hard
| Publisher = [[The New York Times]]
| URL = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E2DC1E3AF937A25751C1A9649C8B63
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Justice
| Given = USDOJ
| Year = 2000
| Date = 2000-11-27
| Title = About the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/torts/const/vicp/about.htm
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Health and Human Services
| Given = HRSA
| Year = 2008
| Title = Filing a Claim with the VICP
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/filing_claim.htm
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = United States Department of Health and Human Services
| Given = HRSA
| Year = 2007
| Date = 2007-04-20
| Title = National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) About VICP
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL = http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21
<!-- *{{Harvard reference
| Surname =
| Given =
| Year =
| Date =
| Title =
| Publisher = United States Government
| URL =
}} retrieved on 2008-01-21 -->