Governor's health bill passes, awaits signing

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Gov. Bob Holden's House Bill 762 has been passed and awaits his signature.|ret||ret||tab|

The bill focuses attention on how improvements in insurance coverage can save lives, give women the best choices and save health-care costs. It was sponsored by House Speaker Jim Kreider of Nixa and a bipartisan groupof legislators.|ret||ret||tab|

The legislation would require health insurers to: |ret||ret||tab|

Give enrollees notice of available cancer screenings like mammograms and pap smears, as recommended by the American Cancer Society. The ACS indicates that 3,700 Missouri women like Randall will develop breast cancer this year. Tragically, 800 will die.|ret||ret||tab|

Cover state-of-the-art, bone-density testing for osteoporosis, which left untreated can painfully limit the lives and productivity of older women. Half of all women age 65 or over are estimated to suffer a bone break because osteoporosis was allowed to progress.|ret||ret||tab|

Give female enrollees direct access to their obstetrician/gynecologists. Now, state law only allows one such visit a year. Women otherwise may face the time-consuming, expensive process of getting a referral from their primary-care doctors before each visit.|ret||ret||tab|

Include contraceptives in prescription-drug benefits. All too often, women must bear the entire cost of responsible family planning out of their own pockets. Contraceptive coverage, an issue of fairness, also should reduce unplanned pregnancies and abortions.|ret||ret||tab|

The bill allows health-plan sponsors like employers or church groups to opt out of providing contraceptive coverage for religious or moral reasons. But enrollees in these plans would have the confidential right to buy, at their own expense, and use riders that cover contraceptive benefits.|ret||ret||tab|

The govemor's bill has been passed by the House and Senate and awaits his signature.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Scott B. Lakin became Missouri Department of Insurance director in March 2001.)|ret||ret||tab|

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