Immigrant coverage, sample ban dropped from health bill
By TONY LEYS • tleys@dmreg.com • March 4, 2009

Read Comments(11)Recommend(1)

Two controversial proposals have been dropped from a wide-ranging health-reform bill.


Legislators no longer are considering a ban on free prescription-drug samples or an extension of public health insurance to immigrant children who are in the country illegally.



Both proposals had been included in Senate File 48, but they were deleted this morning by a subcommittee headed by Sen. Jack Hatch.


The Des Moines Democrat said the bill still contains important reforms, including a requirement that parents sign their children up for government insurance if they qualify. Hatch said that proposal would not include a penalty, but it should lead to almost all Iowa children being covered by insurance.


The bill also would create an “insurance exchange,â€