North Dakota Autism News:
Autism Speaks Endorses North Dakota Autism Insurance Reform Bill
Senate Bill 2268 Would End Health Care Discrimination Against Children
with Autism by Requiring Coverage of Diagnosis and Treatment
NEW YORK, NY (February 3, 2011) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, today announced its support for Senate Bill 2268, the autism insurance reform bill. The legislation would require private health insurance companies to cover the diagnosis, testing, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Sponsored in the North Dakota Senate by State Senators Rich Wardner (District 37) and Carolyn C. Nelson (District 21), SB 2268 includes coverage of behavioral health treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based, medically-necessary autism therapy. The bill has been referred to the Senate Government and Veterans Affairs Committee, which will have its first hearing on the bill this morning.
“We applaud and thank Senators Wardner and Nelson for his leadership on this issue of critical concern to thousands of Washington State families,” said Peter Bell, Autism Speaks executive vice president for programs and services. “Autism Speaks joins North Dakota’s autism community in calling on the legislature to pass SB 2268 and join the growing number of states that have ended healthcare discrimination against children with autism.”
Many 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.
To date, twenty-three states – Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin – have enacted autism insurance reform legislation. Several other state legislatures will introduce similar legislation during the current 2011 session.
Summary of North Dakota Autism Insurance Reform Bill:
Senate Bill 2268 (Noah's Law) - Sponsored by Senator Rich Wardner (District 37) and Senator Carolyn C. Nelson (District 21)
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