Delaware Autism News:
Information Session on SB 204 - Friday, May 21
Date: Friday, May 21, 2010
Time: 1:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Autism Delaware Newark Office
Street: 924 Old Harmony Road, Suite 201
City/Town: Newark, DE
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Autism Delaware will be holding an information session on Senate Bill 204 on Friday, May 21, 2010. The session will be held in their Newark office and you will able to learn more about SB 204 and write letters to your legislators. Talking points, contact information, sample letters, paper, envelopes, and of course REFRESHMENTS will be provided!
Come on your own or bring other concerned family and friends to make it a party!
Every hour on the hour, they will do a review of the legislation and what it will (and will not) accomplish and answer questions before beginning to write your letters. The last one begins at 5:00 and ends at 6:00.
In addition to RSVPing here, please email Kim Siegel at kim.siegel@delautism.org to sign up for a time slot so that we have enough volunteers, supplies, and snacks at the right times!
Check out Autism Delaware's Facebook page for more information!
Autism Speaks Endorses Delaware Autism Insurance Reform Bill
SB 204 Would End Health Care Discrimination Against Children with Autism by Requiring Coverage of Diagnosis and Treatment
NEW YORK, NY (April 8, 2010) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, today joined with Delaware families, Autism Delaware, and other autism advocacy organizations to announce its support for Senate Bill 204, the autism insurance reform bill. The legislation would require private health insurance companies to cover the screening, diagnosis, testing and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Sponsored in the Delaware State Senate by State Senator Liane Sorenson, SB 204 includes coverage of behavioral health treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based, medically-necessary autism therapy. The bill applies to individuals diagnosed with autism up to age twenty-one and requires coverage for ABA therapy up to $50,000 per year.
“We applaud and thank Senator Sorenson for her leadership on this issue of critical concern to thousands of Delaware families,” said Peter Bell, Autism Speaks executive vice president for programs and services. “Autism Speaks joins Delaware’s autism community in calling on the legislature to pass SB 204 and join the growing number of states that have ended healthcare discrimination against children with autism.”
Most states do not require private insurance companies to cover even essential autism treatments and services. In the absence of coverage, families often pay as much as they can out-of-pocket for services that can cost upwards of $50,000 per year. In the process, many risk their homes and the educations of their unaffected children – essentially mortgaging their entire futures.
Fifteen states – Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin – have enacted autism insurance reform legislation. Several other state legislatures will vote on similar legislation during the current 2010 session.
Summary of Delaware Senate Bill 204:
Sponsored by State Senator Liane Sorenson
Cosponsored by State Representative S. Quinton Johnson
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Would require health insurance companies to provide coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for individuals age 21 and younger
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Coverage of treatments will be provided when prescribed, provided, or ordered for an individual diagnosed with autism by a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist who determines the care to be medically necessary
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Under this bill, health insurance companies would be required to provide coverage of the following:
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Diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder - meaning medically necessary assessments, evaluations, or tests to diagnose whether an individual has one of the autism spectrum disorders
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Habilitative or rehabilitative care - meaning professional counseling, guidance services, and treatment programs, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), that are necessary to develop, maintain, and restore, to the maximum possible extent practicable, an the functioning of an individual
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Pharmacy care
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Psychiatric care
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Psychological care
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Therapeutic care - meaning services provided by speech, occupational, or physical therapists, or an aide or assistant under their supervision
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Any care for individuals with autism spectrum disorders that is determined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services, based upon their review of best practices and/or evidence-based research, to be medically necessary
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Coverage for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is subject to an annual maximum of $50,000, but the will be no limits on the number of visits to an ABA provider
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There will be no dollar or number of visit limitations on other covered treatments unrelated to ABA
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The bill does not affect any obligation to provide services to an individual under an individualized family service plan, an individualized education program (IEP), or an individualized services plan
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The bill applies only to state regulated insurance plans. It does not apply to self-funded insurance plans as these plans are regulated by the federal government under ERISA law
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If enacted, this bill would take effect 120 days after enactment
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