Memo from Perkins to Matthews File
Correspondence
March 12, 1991
4 pages
Cite this item
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Case Files, Matthews v. Kizer Hardbacks. Memo from Perkins to Matthews File, 1991. d2906f42-5d40-f011-b4cb-7c1e5267c7b6. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/bfde2130-2447-4247-93eb-5da016d10a04/memo-from-perkins-to-matthews-file. Accessed December 15, 2025.
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From: Jpy¥
Date: March 12, 1991
Re: Production of Documents [set 1]
Document #1 (1 page): Letter from Ruth Range, CHDP Regional
Operations Section Chief, to Arthur Lisbin, LA Co. Dept. of Health
Services (July 26, 1989)
states that "current medical guidelines," which require
an FEP Test before doing a blood lead level
determination, are under revision and that the
requirement was dropped from the PM160 form.
Dr. Lynn Goldman, Chief of the State Environmental
Epidemiology and Toxicology Section states that if single
test is to be done, it should be blood lead. "Ideally
. . . one should obtain concurrent measures of both"
because FEP is a better measure of past exposure.
DHS has reimbursed blood lead test even though an FEP
test was not recorded as being done.
Document #2 (1 page): Letter from Arthur Lisbin to Ruth Range
(July 11, 1989)
Recommends that medical guidelines be revised and the
FEP test removed as a test for lead peisoning.
Document #3 (1 page): Letter from Gordon Cumming, CHDP Chief, to
Barbara Allen, Director Alameda Co. CHDP Prog. (Feb. 15, 1990)
States that FEP test "is no longer" required before blood
level test will be reimbursed
"The program has always promoted lead testing in children
whose histories indicated they are at risk for lead
poisoning."
Reimbursement will be approved only when the blood test
is part of a complete CHDP health assessment.
l
FUNDED BY THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Ae
[We need to find out what this means. If it means that
the provider must be able to render the complete CHDP
screen, it is illegal.]
Asks county to "inform us of the number of children you
plan to test and other specific risk criteria to be used”
Document #4 (3 pages): Letter from Barbara Allen to Gordon Cumming
{Feb. 5, 1990)
Seeks approval to screen high risk Alameda County
residents including the City of Berkeley between 9 months
to 6 years of age "routinely" using blood lead
determinations directly, rather than first screening for
FEP.
Refers to 1986 Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Program (CLPPP) law (H & S Code 3097).
Lead poisoning in Oakland children "is a public health
crisis." 1.3% of children examined had blood lead levels
greater than 25 ug/dl; 19.1% has levels greater than 15
ug/dl.
EP sensitivity in detecting blood lead is "extremely
poor." If EP test had been used in Oakland, 20% of the
children would have been missed.
Notes that Kenneth Kizer made Lynn Goldman and Mary Haan,
Program Director/Epidemiologist of the Childhood Lead
Poisoning Prevention Project, available to Alameda Co.
to assist in development of an effective lead screening,
diagnosis, treatment, abatement and community education
plan. "The screening component provides for blood-lead
determination by venipuncture of all at-risk Oakland
children, 9 months to 6 years of age." (p. 2) Campaign
to begin March or April 1990.
Document #5 (3 pages): CHDP Program Informaticn Notice #82-E (To:
Community CHDP Directors and Deputy Directors, March 24, 1982)
Re: Lead Poisoning in Hispanic Children due to folk
remedy azarcon.
Document #6 (15 pages): CHDP Fiscal Year 1984-85 Fact Book
283 children received Lead:FEP test, and 2 received Lead:
Blood test. 440,084 children received services through
Medi-Cal. Minority children constituted 62% of those
served. 2,878,765 people (10.9% of population) were
eligible for Medi-Cal services.
Fact Book also reports on Medi-Cal eligible children by
age, ethnicity, gender, county of residence, and on
provider type.
Document #7 (57 pages) CHDP Regulations (July 1990)
excerpted from Title 17 CCR.
"Health assessment" includes as a required screening
procedure "testing for . . . lead poisoning where
appropriate." (sec. 6846).
"Screening" not defined (sec. 6818). Cites to H&S Code
208 and 121, 320 et seq.
"Periodicity" defined at sec. 6847.
Schedule of maximum allowance (sec. 6868) FEP: $7.50,
Lead blood: $22.45.
Informing duties at sec. 6824; outreach at sec. 6842.
Document #8 (39 pages) CDC, Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young
Children (1985).
Chapter IV discusses screening [and is very good].
Document #9 (53 pages) DHS, CHDP Medical Guidelines (Dec. 31, 1982)
Health assessment procedures form lists FEP -- "may be
done only if health history warrants;" Blood Lead level
-- "may be done only if FEP is above 35 ug/dl."
Includes lead paint education as suggested health
education topic.
States that children with pica behavior are candidates
for lead poisoning. "Strongly recommends" venous blood
sample if lead poisoning is suspected. "If this is not
possible," finger prick for FEP. Defines poisoning at
25 ug /dl. Poisoned children "should be referred to"
Public Health Nursing and an "environmental investigation
should be initiated."
Requires prior approval for "routine testing on
all children screened." (page 26)
Document #10 (61 pages) PM160 Instructions (May 1990)
The form to be used by providers to request payment for
health assessment services. The general instructions
say that a "complete health assessment must be done"
3
according to the instructions contained in later sections
of the PM160 form. The instructions explain in detail
how to complete the billing form. The instructions
include two separate lead tests as "other tests," as
follows: "Code 14 Lead: FEP -- Should be done if health
history warrants or prior approval received from State.
Code 15 lead: blood lead."
Page 50 lists health assessment procedures required for
various age groups. FEP and blood lead level tests are
listed under laboratory tests, and instructions state:
"May be done if health history warrants." Includes
schedule of maximum allowances ($7.50 for FEP and $22.45
for venous blood test). According to the instructions,
CHDP pays only for screening. If the recipient is
covered by Medi-Cal, the Medi-Cal fiscal intermediary
must be billed for covered diagnosis and treatment.
Document #11 (6 pages): CHDP Billing Forms
Copies of the confidential screening/billing report form
for CHDP assessments by providers. Lead tests listed
under "other test."