Thursday, February 26, 2009

House Hearing on Prosthetic Parity Moved to Wednesday, March 4

This is a follow-up to the earlier post regarding the hearings on the prosthetic parity bill. Our lobbyist, Kent Gaines informed me that the House Committee hearing has been moved to next Wednesday, March 4, at noon. The Senate hearing is Tuesday, March 3, at 8:15 am.

For more information on the Senate bill, please see:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/09info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=708463

For more information on the House bill, please see:
http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills091/bills/hb616.htm

We do not have information yet on where the hearings will be held since the online hearing schedule does not yet reflect all of the hearings for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

We are looking for a strong presence at both of the hearings. Please contact Jean Freeman at 314-606-0442 or Jeff Damerall (314) 853-1910 if you are interested in attending.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Hearings for Prosthetic Parity in Jeff City March 3

Mark your calendars foe Tuesday, March 3. Our Lobbyist Kent has arranged hearings for us in front of senate and house committees. Hearing times are 8:30am and 12:00pm. If as many amputees as possible could come, that would be great. We need to pack the rooms, and some of us will be able to speak/testify to the lawmakers.

Article from deseretnews.com: Bill puts prosthetics on par with hip replacements

Bill McLellan (bmclellan@pandocare.com) thought you might be interested in reading the following story, which appeared on deseretnews.com on .

Do not reply to this messsage. To send a message to the sender, use the address here: bmclellan@pandocare.com.

BILL PUTS PROSTHETICS ON PAR WITH HIP REPLACEMENTS
A bill that would put prosthetics on par with hip replacements in medical insurance plans passed out of a legislative committee with one opposing vote, despite stiff opposition from some lawmakers and the insurance industry who regard HB89 as yet another mandate to a health-care system that is falling apart.
FULL STORY: http://deseretnews.com/article/1%2C5143%2C705286787%2C00.html

Monday, February 16, 2009

Our Prosthetic Parity Bill Assigned to Great Committees


The Missouri Prosthetic Parity Bill is HB 616 in the House and SB 320 in the Senate. It has been assigned to the House committee on Health Policy, chaired by our bill sponsor Rep. Dr. Wayne Cooper, a Republican from Camdenton. In the Senate, it has been assigned to the committee on Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families, chaired by Senator Norma Champion – R (Springfield). Last year we were assigned to the insurance committees, so this is a positive development. You can follow the progress of these bills by clicking on the links provided. If you live in Senator Champion's district around Springfield, MO, please call her and let her know of your support for SB 320. We expect to have hearings around the beginning of March--coming up quick--so please make plans to attend, especially if you are an amputee affected by insurance caps on your coverage.

E-mail-A-Friend: Maryland teenager urges legislators for insurance coverage for prosthetics

Story:
Maryland teenager urges legislators for insurance coverage for prosthetics

ANNAPOLIS - Lorenzo Smith never thought he'd be penalized for growing taller, but his HMO insurance plan, UnitedHealthcare, says he has to pay.

The 15-year-old was charged more than $20,000 for growing 5 inches in 4 years, and he dares to keep growing.

For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:

http://www.ifawebnews.com/articles/2009/02/12/marylanddc/doc49940d5785a9f980978955.txt

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