Senate expands health claims for Missouri firefighters

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Intro:	Senators voted to expand health claims for Missouri firefighters...the plague is now covered.
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OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The Missouri Senate voted to expand the list of infectious diseases for which firefighters will receive disability or death benefits.

Some of the new additions include hepatitis, rabies, and the plague.

Republican St. Joseph Senator and practicing physician Rob Schaaf spoke against the bill.

He says he wants to make sure firefighters aren't compensated for diseases not acquired on the job.

Actuality:	SCHAAF4.WAV
Run Time:	00:13
Description: "And it's kind of hard for me to believe that every case of HIV, Hepatitis, Plague, etc., that a firefighter gets was only because he or she was on the job."

The bill now moves on to the House.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Andrew Weil.

Intro:	A St. Louis County Senator's plan to expand health claims for Missouri firefighters passes in the Senate.
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Wrap: Missouri Senators voted to expand the list of infectious diseases for which firefighters will receive disability or death benefits.

The bill's sponsor is Republican St. Louis County Senator Ericc Schmitt.

He says these blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis A were added because they can be contracted by firefighters in the field.

Republican St. Joseph Senator Rob Schaaf says he wants firefighters to be fairly compensated...

Actuality:	SCHAAF3.WAV
Run Time:	00:07
Description: "But at the same time we want to make sure that they're not compensated for things that weren't acquired on the job."

The bill now moves on to the House.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Andrew Weil.

Intro:	As the Senate votes to expand health claims for Missouri firefighters, one St. Joseph Senator says he wants to make sure they're only compensated for diseases acquired on the job.
RunTime:	0:36
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: The Senate voted to expand the list of infectious diseases for which Missouri firefighters will receive disability or death benefits.

Republican St. Joseph Senator Rob Schaaf spoke against the bill.

Schaaf, a practicing physician, says it's difficult to see how some of these diseases are due to work as a firefighter.

Actuality:	SCHAAF5.WAV
Run Time:	00:10
Description: "I mean I can understand lung cancer, I can understand emphysema, hypertension, your exposed to smoke and all that, but HIV?"

The bill now moves on to the House.

There are 4 weeks left in the legislative session.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Andrew Weil.