An American family goes bankrupt every 30 seconds due to medical expenses. Autistic people face an even higher risk of financial ruin—incurring costs for treatment and therapy that soar as high as $5 million throughout their lives. To alleviate the tremendous financial burden placed on people with autism spectrum disorders, I sponsored SB 09-244, which will direct health benefit plans to provide coverage for assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
The bill will require coverage for:
- evaluation and assessment services
- behavior management and training
- occupational therapy
- physical therapy
- speech therapy
- medication
- psychiatric and psychological care
The passage of this bill is a triumph for the most vulnerable among us, those who we as a society have a responsibility to protect. It’s time for insurance companies to shoulder their share of that responsibility. Autism is treatable, but these families should not face this alone. This bill will finally make healthcare manageable for autistic people and their families.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed the bill on a 5-3 vote today. The full Senate will consider the bill next week.
Posted by SenatorShaffer in Blog []