Great news out of Annapolis this week. A bill has been introduced in the State Senate to require comprehensive insurance coverage for people with autism. If made law, this bill, S.B. 759, would expand coverage beyond the existing requirement for insurers to cover speech-language pathology, physical therapy and occupation therapy for their members with autism. The new coverage would include behavioral health treatments like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and leave room for coverage of other evidence-based treatments. Few treatments have an evidence basis on par with ABA, but it is valuable that the bill leaves room for future advancements in the science of autism intervention.
It's exciting that the new bill specifies coverage for services overseen by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and delivered by paraprofessionals. That model, tutors for home programs who are college students trained by a BCBA, is what has worked for many of us. Additional great news is that the bill would cover "devices that are necessary to develop, maintain, or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of an individual." This means that those of us with non-verbal children could get help with augmentative and alternative communication devices.
Full text of the bill is available here: http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/billfile/sb0759.htm
A similar bill is expected soon in the House also. Please contact the Senator and Delegate representing your district and let them know the positive impact this bill would have on your family and other families you know in Maryland. Hearings on the bill are expected in March, so please turn out in Annapolis to support the bill then too.
If your Senator or Delegate is hesitant about the bill, it may be because of cost concerns in this difficult economy. Note for them that 22 other States already have similar laws. The independent cost estimates that have been performed in these States have shown the costs are reasonable. Surely Maryland, the wealthiest State in the nation, can afford to do what 22 other States have. More importantly, we can't afford not to do it. The savings that result from helping people with autism early, and enabling them to be less dependent on public services over time, far outweigh the costs. There are a couple published papers demonstrating this. I'll be posting about that research in the next few weeks.
Wil Gehne
Press Release from Autism Speaks about the new bills
ReplyDeleteMaryland Autism News:
Autism Speaks Endorses Maryland Autism Insurance Reform Bills
Senate Bill 759/House Bill 783 Would End Health Care Discrimination Against Children with Autism by Requiring Coverage of Diagnosis and Treatment
NEW YORK, NY (February 14, 2011) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, today announced its support for Maryland Senate Bill 759/House Bill 783, the autism insurance reform bill, also known as the “Coverage of Autism Spectrum Disorders” bill. The legislation would require private health insurance companies to cover the diagnosis, testing, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Sponsored in the Maryland Senate by Senator Katherine Klausmeier (District 8) and in the House by Delegate Kirill Reznik (District 39), SB 759/HB 783 includes coverage of behavioral health treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based, medically-necessary autism therapy. The Senate bill was introduced on February 4th and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. The House bill was introduced on February 10th and has been referred to the House Health Government Operations Committee.
“We applaud and thank Senator Klausmeier and Delegate Reznik for their leadership on this issue of critical concern to thousands of Maryland families,” said Peter Bell, Autism Speaks executive vice president for programs and services. “Autism Speaks joins Maryland’s autism community in calling on the legislature to pass SB 759/HB 783 and join the growing number of states that have ended healthcare discrimination against children with autism.”
“Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders are growing exponentially and parents of kids diagnosed are struggling to meet the medical needs of their children, with many going bankrupt, losing their homes, and moving out of state, all the while paying for health insurance that does nothing for the biggest medical problem they face,” said Delegate Reznik. “This legislation is necessary to provide for health insurance to step up and provide coverage for treatment. We are at a crossroads where either we begin paying for these treatments or face mounting problems in the future.”
Many states do not require private insurance companies to cover even essential autism treatments and services. In the absence of coverage, families often pay as much as they can out-of-pocket for services that can cost upwards of $50,000 per year. In the process, many risk their homes and the educations of their unaffected children – essentially mortgaging their entire futures.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic.
ReplyDeleteautism dublin & HSE autism