Utah Legislature: Prosthesis coverage bill gets House OK

SALT LAKE CITY — A new requirement for health insurers to meet some minimum standards of prosthetic limb coverage, a bill left on the boards when the Legislature ended the session last year, got a nod of approval from the House Tuesday.

House Minority Leader David Litvack, D-Salt Lake, the sponsor of HB66, said the inclusion of the coverage on those plans that currently don't have it would have only minimal impact on costs, ones he estimated at about 60 cents per plan member per year.

The change, Litvack said, will provide much-needed relief to those residents who rely on a prosthetic device, some of whom currently must avoid full-time work to continue to receive Medicare benefits that cover those medical expenses.

— Arthur Raymond