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Insurers Must Cover Immunization

May 2, 1996
By: Jack Dolan
State Capital Bureau

The House voted to make private insurance companies cover childhood immunizations. Jack Dolan has the story from Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

Under the bill, private insurers would be prohibited from charging a deductible, or a co-payment, for immunizations.

The bill would mean people with insurance can get their children immunized by a doctor for free, instead of making a trip to a government health clinic, where immunizations already are free.

The bill's sponsor, Scott Latin from Kansas City, says lots of insured people never make that extra trip, and that their children account for many of the unimmunized kids in Missouri.

Martin Hohulin from Southwest Missouri, says he thinks the bill is nonsense.

Actuality:
RunTime: 214-217
OutCue: ...raise immunization rates dramatically.
Contents: Hohulin says the bill tells people who are too lazy, and don't care enough about their kids to take them to a clinic for immunizations, "Hey, big government will do it for you, and we'll make other people pay for it with higher premiums."

By national rank, Missouri is second from the last at immunizing preschoolers. The governor's spokesman, Chris Sifford, says signing the governor will sign the bill. From Jefferson City, I'm Jack Dolan.