Last week, Senate Bill 45, a proposal that would mandate insurance coverage for persons with a physical or developmental disability similar to our medical coverage for autism disorder, was heard in the Senate Health and Pensions Committee. During the committee hearing, we heard that there are more than 14,000 people across the state with physical or developmental disabilities are not covered under their current insurance plan. As with any unfunded mandate, there are advantages and disadvantages to regulating health care and insurance coverage.
An advantage of this bill is that it would ensure that families with children in need of early intervention services are covered by their insurance plan. While most children learn to roll over, walk and talk as they grow, many children with disabilities need weekly therapy sessions to achieve these milestones. Therapy can run anywhere from $200-$300 per week, making it unaffordable for many working families who are already paying for insurance coverage.
By mandating coverage for physical or developmental disabilities the cost of insurance will inevitably go up for all policies, making health insurance less affordable for all Missourians. This is an unintended consequence that could affect working Missourians who are not eligible for government assistance.
I believe we need to take a look at ways to improve this bill to ensure that it does not price some Missourians out of the market to purchase health insurance.
In addition, Senate Bill 123 was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. The proposal allows the $10 fee for service of any summons, writ, subpoena or other court order to be collected for the Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplemental Fund regardless of who serves the court order. Jasper County sheriff Randee Kaiser attended, along with sheriffs from across the state who testified in strong support of the bill, sharing how important this fee will help funding the salaries of deputies particularly in rural counties.
