Bill to cover prosthetics signed into law

AUGUSTA – A bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Bryant, D-Windham, and co-sponsored by Rep. Matt Peterson, D-Rumford, to require insurance plans to cover the latest prosthetic limbs was signed into law by Governor John Baldacci today. Under current law, health insurance carriers are required to provide coverage for prosthetic devices, but coverage is not required for those devices containing a microprocessor. The bill removes the exclusion for prosthetic devices that include a microprocessor.

“Microprocessors have become far more common and affordable,” said Bryant. “Most artificial limbs prescribed to amputees by doctors today have microprocessor chips in them. This bill is a needed step to bring the law covering artificial limbs up to date. At the public hearing we heard from dozens of people who utilized artificial limbs, they all testified that going from an older prosthetic to one that contained microprocessor technology had huge benefits for their health, mobility and overall quality of life.”

The original law requiring policies to cover prosthetic limbs was passed over a decade ago, when microprocessor technology was very new and expensive. Microprocessor chips are tiny computers embedded into the artificial limbs that allow them to move and react more like a real limb.

“Technology has continued to improve the lives of people living with a disability, and no place have these advances been more significant than in the development of sophisticated prosthetic devices that expand the capacity and independence of people who have lost a limb,” said Peterson. “This law is designed to do one simple thing--to make sure that insurers in our state will make available the most appropriate alternative available to those they cover. This is what we all expect when we purchase insurance, and we have the responsibility to ensure that these expectations are enshrined in our statutes and regulations. This is another important step in making sure the insurance climate in Maine strikes the proper balance.”

The bill, LD 20 “An Act To Require Insurance Companies To Cover the Cost of Prosthetics Containing Microprocessors,” passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.