JEFFERSON CITY — House Bill 2034 would require insurance companies in Missouri to provide coverage for up to three orthotic, prosthetic and assistive devices per individual.
Currently, coverage is only provided for one daily-use device. Almost 120,000 Missourians would be assisted. Advocates of the proposed expansion said most state residents believe all costs relating to assistive devices are included in insurance coverage.
Rep. Carolyn Caton, R-Blue Springs, who proposed the bill, said that a daily-use device or “walking leg” restricts “the ability for movement.” Referring to a Missouri resident who is disabled that she knows, Caton said that “she’s missing out on a big part of her life that she loved.”
Up to three assistive devices are required for active citizens, advocates say.
The primary prosthetic is called a walking leg. For activity, users have a leg that allows for increased comfort and mobility. A third, additional leg is required for showering and bathing, as the others are not waterproof.
University of Missouri student and Paralympian Amaris Vazquez expressed support for the bill alongside the lobbying group “So Every Body Can Move.” Vazquez said some devices “can cost as much as a car,” ranging from $15,000 to $60,000 per device.
Members and supporters of So Every Body Can Move lobbied at the Capitol on Jan. 21, meeting with legislators.
Vazquez said that when she first started competing in track and field she used her uncomfortable “walking leg.” Since the socket fitting, adjusting and adapting of her running leg, she has won competitions on the state, national and international level.
Although the bill has passed in 12 other states, including Georgia, Arkansas, California and Colorado, Caton expects strong opposition from insurance companies when the House Health and Mental Health Committee has a hearing on the bill Thursday.
“It’s not about red or blue. It’s about doing the right thing,” Caton said. Supporters of the bill include physicians, the Missouri Hospital Association and mental health counselors, Caton said.
Although the bill would only affect around 10% of Missouri’s population, Caton said, “It’s definitely one of the good bills. It’s a bill that unites people, that doesn’t divide them.”