Kagan bill to help school-based health clinics passes House unanimously

State Rep. Daniel Kagan’s, D-Denver, bill to allow school-based health clinics to waive co-pays, passed the House unanimously today on final reading.

HB 11-1019 will allow School-based Health Clinics (SBHC), which provide less costly health care, to waive co-pays for medical services that eligible children enrolled in the Children’s Basic Health Plan program receive. The bill seeks to remove the barrier preventing some school children enrolled in the state’s basic health program from receiving the care they need.

“This bill will help our most vulnerable children get the health care they need, when they need it,” said Rep. Kagan. “And the preventative care they receive will keep them out of emergency rooms later on and help drive down insurance rates across the board.”

In the Fiscal Year 2008-09 Colorado SBHCs provided comprehensive physical and mental health services to more than 27,000 children or more than 82,000 visits. SBHCs also provide prevention services and instruction that promote healthy behaviors and reduce risky ones that can lead to school failure.

HB 11-1019 is sponsored by Senator Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood, in the Senate.

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

Comments are closed.