Why did you post this. It says 1-3% and that it shouldn't be mandated on insurance companies. It says exactly what small business owners have been saying and why Virginia was unable to pass the bill this year.
Cindy Gwinn

cost analysis has shown that autism mandates cost less than 1%,furthermore the cost to society is reduced by over 1 million dollars per person ,if effective treatment is given; by reducing dependence on public programs the 1-3% increase is nothing more than rhetoric.
Heidi LaVoie

My insurance did not cover any treatment so we paid out of pocket. Now my husband can't purchase family insurance because of my son's condition. I was going to help him start his business but I have to continue in a clerical job at a hospital to get health insurance. It is so frustrating for small businesses.

Insurance covers cancer, maternity (which is usually a voluntary decisioin), and even Viagra. With insurance rates rising over 30% for individuals per year in Californnia, the cost to cover ASD is negligible. the reasons for denial vary, such as we are the last disease (in medical terms) to show up, to the fact that ABA Therapy is given by non-medical personnel. It should be covered both as a societal responsibility and as parity with everything else that is covered.
Bill Young
Wellspring Autism Network

"Currently, health insurance does and should cover physical conditions faced by those with Autism." Really, news to me. Our company has been denying speech and OT for over two years now. I think Autism Speaks/Votes should submit a rebutle to this.

Great article,
It is very important for everyone to have health insurance.If you don't have insurance and you have to go to hospital, you'll have to pay over $20,000.That happened to a friend of mine.I know a site that offer the cheapest possible price for health insurance, free quotes and a lot of benefits.

http://www.NationalHealthInsurance.info

CAHI is right. Insurance induced demand is a well established fact and intuitive as well. When something gets covered that was not covered previously, there is a rush to treatment, and some of it gets overused. Much of the potential for these kids lies in enhancing educational, rather than medical, approaches. True medical needs are already being met through health insurance. Medications and early speech and occupational therapies should be covered. Overuse of those therapies should be discouraged. They must eventually move into something the child can use to develop his or her own executive functioning abilities, not something that the child has to depend on for life. If we don't enhance children's executive functioning, what Heidi mentioned will not happen, and her claim of reduced cost to society is just rhetoric. It is ironic that she states, in the same sentence, that the 1-3% is rhetoric, yet she spews out rhetoric of her own by claiming special education savings. It isn’t t

I'd like to know if healf insurances pay for ABA therapy in Florida under the Florida law?
Thank you

Let's stop blaming the insurance companies for not covering educational therapies such as ABA. Especially for those of us that work for companies that are self-funded. Our employers are choosing not to cover autism and ABA, not the insurance company. Why aren't educational and behavioral therapies being mandated to be covered within the school districts? Why does so many of our special education class rooms lack the training and education to provide these services?

Health insurance companies are madated to provide ABA in Florida if you're insurance is a fully-insured plan. If you don't know what that is, go to your HR/benefits department and ask. If you have a self-funded plan, insurance is not required to pay for ABA. Ask your employer to add it as a benefit.