A bill aimed to clean up technical language in last year's legislation that extended insurance coverage to children and teens with Autism spectrum disorders has the support of legislators and the community.
Parents of children with autism joined with lawmakers Feb. 13 to show their support for House Bill 4260 and Senate Bill 401. Both bills aim to clarify language included in House Bill 2693, which passed in the 2011 legislative session. That bill included a provision that would mandate insurance coverage up to $30,000 annually for children with autism. The coverage included Advanced Behavioral Analysis and other therapies. But Delegate Ralph Rodighiero, D-Logan, a supporter of the bill, said insurance companies read the bill and said it implied the $30,000 could cover any treatment an autistic child may require, such as a broken arm.
"If a child with autism breaks his arm and goes to the ER, they want the $30k to include that (treatment), and that's not how the bill was meant to be," he said. "It's like if you read the Bible, you'll have two or three different views of it. So what we've got to do is make it more black and white, and that's what we're in the process of doing right now."
Last year's legislation passed the House of Delegates unanimously, said Rodighiero, whose 20-year-old son has autism. Rodighiero said the cleanup bill also has wide support from legislators, and he thinks a compromise can be reached with the insurance industry.
"I feel confident we can work together and get this worked out," he said.
Beverly McCoy's 21-year-old son Mike was diagnosed with autism when he was 5. For the past several years, Mike has undergone therapy, but not to the extent he really needed. The reason? His parents' insurance company wouldn't cover it. However, his mother said the therapy he has received has really helped him.
"We have had no insurance coverage for the therapy we've done for him, and we haven't been able to do as much as he really needed," McCoy said. "But it has really revolutionized his life and given him a future that would have been unattainable without ABA."
Delegate Denise Campbell, D-Randolph, is the mother of a child with autism. She said it angers her that the insurance companies are more worried about their bottom lines than her son's health.
"It makes me angry that as a citizen and the parent of a child with autism, everything comes down to money," she said. "Why should our children be treated differently than any other child with any other illness? We should not be segregated."
Rodighiero said his son is a productive member of society thanks to extensive therapy. After he graduated 21st in his high school class, the younger Rodighiero attends a local college and works two jobs. Rodighiero said extending therapy coverage to children with autism really helps the state in the long run.
"My son is productive," Rodighiero said. "He goes to school, holds two jobs, and I consider that a success because of the therapies that he's had. There are a lot of kids who don't have that opportunity without that insurance. It's a win-win for the child, the families and the state."
H.B. 4260 has been reported to the House Finance Committee, while S.B. 401 is being considered by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
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