State insurance dept. handling canceled plans alone

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Intro:	A Missouri Hospital Association official encourages consumers to be patient with the Department of Health Insurance before choosing a health care plan.
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Wrap: A week later, and Missouri's Department of Health Insurance has yet to decide if they will let consumers keep their old insurance plans for another year.

Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson Dave Dillon says consumers should wait for the department's decision before they choose a plan.

Actuality:	RASH.WAV
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Description: Don't do something today just because it's the easiest thing to do. I hate to encourage anyone not to take action. But in this case, for this population, it may be better not to do something, and to wait.

Fourteen separate health care plans will be canceled in Missouri next year under the federal health care law.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Hanna Battah.

Intro:	The Missouri Department of Insurance still has no answer for how they will handle President Obama's announcement last week regarding canceled health insurance policies under the new health care law.
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Wrap: Six days later, and Missouri's Health Insurance Department says they are still working to make a decision.

Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson Dave Dillon says this delay may create confusion for those under the canceled policies.

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Description: The last thing that any consumer needs is any additional confusion about what their options are so if in fact a decision needs to be made, The sooner it is made the better it is for those individuals who may have had policies canceled.

At least 21 states have decided if they will let consumers keep their old plans for a year, even if it conflicts with the new heath care law.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Hanna Battah.

Intro:	A week later, President Obama announced a proposal regarding canceled health care plans and Missouri's health insurance department says they have made no contact with the president.
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Wrap: Missouri's health insurance department has yet to make a decision for those under the fourteen canceled health insurance plans.

Missouri Hospital Association spokesperson Dave Dillon says their inactivity will make health care decisions more confusing for the public.

Actuality:	BETTER.WAV
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Description: That is going to make ultimately it more difficult for Missourians when they are shopping and when they are considering options for what they should be doing. So I think it's just a symptom of the state and our lack of engagement on the Affordable Care Act.

Many other states, including New Jersey and California are still weighing their options.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Hanna Battah.