State Senators Push by Families and Experts to Requiring Insurance Coverage for Autism
With tears running down her face Cynthia Macluskie recounted her feelings of failing her son. Her son had been diagnosed with autism as a toddler. The family's pediatrician felt her son would need to be institutionalized.
With her son, leaning against her and patting her back she recanted her story and feelings to a panel of state senators. Her son Mark took the podium himself. Mark Van began in a clear voice to read from the sheet of type sentences laid before him:
“Autism is treatable,” he stated to the lawmakers, Mark is a living testament to its treatability.” Please, insurance companies must update their policies.”
Gathering at the state capital in an attempt to push lawmakers into requiring insurance companies cover treatments for children with autism the Macluskies were just one family among many. Families recounted their stories of spending thousands of dollars sometimes tens of thousands of dollars to treat their children, some families having to turn to taking out loans or going on public assistance in order to cover treatments that health-care providers refuse to cover.
The state health committee has already passed unanimously, the bill that would mandate, insurance companies to cover up to $50 000 a year annually to treat children for behavioral, speech as well has intensive therapies, which are all needed in the treatment of autistic children. The bill needs the approval of two other committees before will be allowed to go before the full Senate after which it will go before the House.
Currently, the bill is opposed by Arizona Chamber of Commerce and industry and of course the insurance companies both claiming that the passing of Senate Bill 1263 will raise insurance costs for both business and families.
A spokeswoman for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Regina Friedan, said it's a tough issue, and we are sympathetic to the families, who face autism." She went on to say that while the insurance policies cover conditions such as depression or attention deficit disorder. They currently do not cover autism treatment. It is Blue Cross Blue Shield standing to oppose mandates as they feel that they raise costs unfairly for their members.
On the other side of the spectrum experts and families believe that they would save the state money and have expressed that to the senators stating that by requiring the insurance company to provide treatment of autism. Children will not be institutionalized nor have to be put on public disability programs. Within less than two decades, advancements in treatment have meant that autism is no longer a lifetime sentence. Mothers whose children currently function at their own age level, pointed out to senators that prior to therapy their child could not speak or even feed themselves.
The development manager for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Phoenix, points out those children who start intensive therapy, often reach optimal results after an average of two years and function normally. Studies also indicate that this is a pattern for 50% of children with autism. |
