Miss-Delectable
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Phone Service Funds For Deaf May Be Cut To Pay For Children's Health Insurance
The dual party relay phone system that helps deaf or hearing impaired people communicate is in jeopardy. A
house committee passed a bill that would take money from the dual party phone service fund to pay for the All Kids, the state's health insurance program for children. Every month land line telephone customers pay a 15 cent surcharge to support the dual party relay system for the deaf. The proposal would take about 30 million that the phone fund has built up and give it to All Kids.
It's a decision that would greatly benefit the kid's health insurance program but could mean an end to phone services for the deaf in just 9 months. "We feel like there has got to be another way to do that without undermining a service that has been extremely important to the hearing impaired and blind people" said David Rountree who sits on the Dual Party Relay Board.
The bill is expected to go before the full House next week, the Dual Party Relay Board anticipates legal action if the measure is passed.
The dual party relay phone system that helps deaf or hearing impaired people communicate is in jeopardy. A
house committee passed a bill that would take money from the dual party phone service fund to pay for the All Kids, the state's health insurance program for children. Every month land line telephone customers pay a 15 cent surcharge to support the dual party relay system for the deaf. The proposal would take about 30 million that the phone fund has built up and give it to All Kids.
It's a decision that would greatly benefit the kid's health insurance program but could mean an end to phone services for the deaf in just 9 months. "We feel like there has got to be another way to do that without undermining a service that has been extremely important to the hearing impaired and blind people" said David Rountree who sits on the Dual Party Relay Board.
The bill is expected to go before the full House next week, the Dual Party Relay Board anticipates legal action if the measure is passed.