Comments on: It’s Time for New York to Pass Autism Insurance Reform

By: murryz

murryz — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:50:41 +0000

My 18 year old son is autistic . He is covered under my health insurance as part of my family. he is currently at a residential school undergoing mostly “life training”.
Is he still covered under the family plan ? he is not in a real school anymore and is over 18

By: milo

milo — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 01:18:20 +0000

hi its nice info sir …..i like it

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:18:38 +0000

While I understand your frustration, I feel it is somewhat unwarranted. In every thing that I’ve read about this issue, I’ve never seen anything that says, or even alludes to, the fact that other children with disabilities should be neglected for those with autism. Autism Speaks is just that – a group which was developed to focus on issues and legislation related to autism. There are all different groups that focus on all different things. There probably are groups that deal with the other issues you mentioned, just as there are organizations that deal with cancer, AIDS, heart disease, etc. If they don’t exist, have you attempted to start your own?

By: Pain management New York

Pain management New York — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:26:23 +0000

Hello, just one question i want to know that medical insurance its really nice and valuable information thank you for sharing this.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 02:39:40 +0000

So can anyone explain to me why medical insurance should pay for therapies for autism but not for all of the other equally tragic developmental disabilities? What am I missing here? How is it fair and constitutional to tell all the individuals whose children have chromosomal disorders, brain damage, mental retardation. etc. to just “make do” with whatever’s offered by their school district and county board of MR/DD, while using health insurance dollars to offer speech and occupational therapy, in-home ABA tutors (and probably horsey rides and swim sessions too, when ‘ordered’ by a doctor)? Don’t get me wrong…autism is a devastating disability (I know, I have two children on the spectrum), and I absolutely know first-hand how underfunded services are. But it is a DEVELOPMENTAL disability and as such, these services fall under the domain of special education and DD boards, not medical insurance. For all of you fighting for this sweeping autism insurance reform, stop for a moment and put yourself in the shoes of a parent of a child with, say, Down Syndrome. How would you feel if your son or daughter’s badly needed speech services were not covered, but your neighbor’s kid with, say, mild high-functioning autism, had broad coverage for his therapies? Can you see the inequity?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:09:26 +0000

I really have been enjoying these posts!

*Help needed!!! I am undergoing a masters degree in Interactive Media at the University of London, London College of Communications. My dissertation topic is within the field of Autism & Computing.

I have an online questionnaire that needs to be completed as a part of my research. I would be most grateful if you could forward this email or the link below to anyone you know who is a parent, guardian, or caregiver of a child or adolescent/young adult with autism. The responses will help understand the current behaviors and methods used for learning and interacting among these individuals.

This questionnaire should take no more than 10-12 minutes to complete. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

http://tinyurl.com/autism-survey

By: richard fauth

richard fauth — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:23:19 +0000

Wow-excellent posts! I take it back- there are more than the manipulated masses out there! Neil-let me add my favoite to your list of “evidence based” -my companies Erisa plan pays for Viagra. What a world-nothing for autism- but if you cant….. Talk about misappropriated priorities.

By: Anne Barbano

Anne Barbano — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:31:40 +0000

Excellent post Lorri. You need to come back and help Vermont in understanding that it is not just an early intervention bill. All ages will be helped and supported. It’s the fair bill. Thank you for your post. It’s being sent far and wide! ~ ANNE

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:16:30 +0000

So how do we keep school districts from trying to push their educational responsability to the insurance companies for ABA? Some people are getting very good services (quantity and quality) from school districts, and we have a seat at the table in making decisions (CSE). My experience with medical insurance has been very different, with caps on what therapists/aids are paid per hour, etc. ABA/occupational/physical therapies straddle both educational and medical worlds and I see this law as a way for schools to cut and run. Also, with regard to evidence based studies, we are not talking about a pill or injection. So big pharma may not be interested. These studies are expensive and take years to complete. That standard needs more detail. People with terminal cancers still are given chemotherapy which is covered by insurance, despite low single digit survival rates for cancers like pancreatic. Many policies cover abortion, what exactly is the evidence based data there? The evidence should be that some portion, even a small portion of the Autism population benefited, and the benefit was recorded by a medical professional. The scientific community is now starting to look at Autism as “autisms”, sort of like cancer. There may be many types, and many causes. Perhaps in the Bill, the state should fund the evidence based studies they demand when there are petitions of some minimum number, otherwise the result of this bill, is just a nother bill for services for us desperate parents.

By: richard fauth

richard fauth — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 15:06:57 +0000

Amen Lori- I feel your pain. Thanks for an informative article that points out some of the issues surrounding the inability to get meaningfull autism insurance reform accomplished. Unfortunately your
dodging the bigger issue that Autism Speaks continues to dodge around out of the fear of ofending significant segments of their support. A win/win means finding a common agenda in which a consensus opinion
has been reached and then moving forward to accomplish that agenda. AS continues to court the louder more energized segment of the advocacy in order to extract resources even when that segments aims defeat the
agenda. I am largely dismayed at the counter productive, selfish, aims of these folks. If you want to feed your kid diocyl doorknob because the “Anihilate Autism Now Witchdoctor” says it wil make your kid president of the usa -go for it.
But please stop blocking progess toward getting the rest of our children the help they need. The common agenda is helping people with autism. There is no room for manipulated masses who so easily get it when somebody tells them big pharma
and the chemical industry caused autism but cannot figure out that they are being manipulated by some green, organic, snake oil salesman who sees the truth ruining his “practice”.

Moreover- AS needs to stop the “niche” marketing strategy- it adds to the divisiveness. Stop supporting the ideals of politicos who “at the eleventh hour” remove meaningfull reform for autism insurance from a “historical” health care reform bill.
Stop nibling around the corners of the plate and throw the heater down the middle- 56% of workers get their health care from ERISa plans-plans that pay nothing for Services for Autism. They own the market. Stop thinking like a lawyer and a marketer and start thinking like an economist. Juke left and Juke right?
An effective punt returner knows its north and south.

By: Jo Spargo

Jo Spargo — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:32:42 +0000

i love this topic – you have done a great job bringing this to the forefront. I teach a class about autism and basic sensory needs, and am now reminded that I need to offer it the the public to assist in these things

By: Michael Baumgarten

Michael Baumgarten — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:42:16 +0000

Does anyone know whether this bill would expand the definition of permitted provider to include SEITS? Even if my health insurer is told that it must pay for ABA therapy for my autistic son, they will say the ABA therapy will only be covered if it is provided by a permitted provider (doctor, psychologist, social worker i.e., the people who generally do not provide ABA therapy as part of their practice). The result is that, as a practical matter, families will not be able to find a Permitted Provider and therefore, not be able to make a claim for reimbursement for ABA therapy. Please let me know how this is addressed.