ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270068
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
Declaring an end to ``drive-through'' deliveries, President Clinton signed a bill Thursday ensuring two-day hospital stays for new mothers and their babies.
The law also bars insurers from setting separate coverage limits for mental and physical illnesses.
``This law is common sense, and now it is the law of the land,'' Clinton said in a Rose Garden ceremony attended by families whose stories helped spur Congress to act.
The new law also ensures that children of Vietnam veterans born with the birth defect spina bifida can get medical care and rehabilitative training through the Veterans Administration. Research has shown a link between spina bifida and exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used in the Vietnam War.
``This is truly a landmark day in our efforts to strengthen our families, our community and our future,'' Clinton said.
The health insurance industry, however, takes a dim view of the federal mandates.
``Insurers don't pay the cost of a mandate. Purchasers of health coverage do,'' said Richard Coorsh, spokesman for the Health Insurance Association of America, which represents about 250 insurers and which had opposed the legislation.
The new law will take effect Jan. 1, 1998.
Under the legislation, health plans must cover hospital stays of at least 48 hours for natural births and up to four days for those who deliver by Caesarean section.
It also removes inequities in mental health coverage by requiring the same aggregate and annual payment limits for mental illnesses as for physical illnesses.
The law marks the first time offspring of U.S. servicemen will receive government benefits for combat-related health problems.
LENGTH: Short : 45 linesby CNB