Jindal issues order improving care, services for sexual assault victims

Governor Jindal on Tuesday issued an Executive Order that further protects sexual assault victims by directing hospitals and health care centers to directly bill the Crime Victims Reparation Board instead of victims for a defined list of eligible medical expenses.
This order also extends the time period by which a victim of sexual assault must notify appropriate law enforcement to be eligible for reparations from 72 hours to 1 year.
To ensure that women in every parish have access to services, DHH medical doctors will also create regional plans for how sexual assault exams are handled, covering items like who buys the rape kits, where are they stored, and who is performing the exam.
In addition, DHH and LSP will jointly convene stakeholders to determine the definition of a forensic medical exam for the purposes of billing (such as the Emergency Room charge, physician charge, room charge).
They will also set a minimum standard for rape kits, with the goal of creating a shelf stable kit with no expiration date and including any standard language that should be included in the paperwork that comes inside the rape kit.
Representative Helena Moreno said, "While it is clear that substantial legislative changes will be introduced during the 2015 session, this Executive Order is the result of weeks of work between the administration, advocates, and many other stakeholders. Much more is left to be done and I look forward to continuing the process to improve care and services for victims of sexual assault."