Nevada

Nevada Autism News:

Autism Speaks Applauds Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons For Enacting Autism Insurance Reform Bill

Nevada Becomes Eleventh State in the Nation with Comprehensive Autism Insurance Reform

NEW YORK, NY (May 29, 2009) -- Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, today joined the Nevada autism community to praise Governor Jim Gibbons for signing into law AB 162, which requires insurance companies to provide coverage of evidence-based, medically necessary autism therapies. Nevada is now the eleventh state in the country to enact comprehensive autism insurance reform.

The Nevada law requires insurers to cover up to $36,000 a year for behavioral treatments and therapies, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children until age eighteen, or age twenty-one if the individual is enrolled in high school. ABA therapy is recognized as an effective, evidence-based treatment for children with autism. The law specifies that there cannot be any limit put on the number of visits to an autism service provider and that the maximum per year benefit will be adjusted annually for inflation.

“The new Nevada law represents another major step in the national effort to secure autism insurance coverage and provide families the help they so desperately need and deserve,” said Elizabeth Emken, Autism Speaks vice president of government relations. “Legislatures across the country are introducing and passing bills that put an end to the discriminatory practices by insurance companies against children with an autism diagnosis. We thank Nevada’s legislators and Governor Jim Gibbons for having the courage to put families and their needs first".

In many states, insurers explicitly exclude coverage of these therapies from policies, which places a significant financial burden on families seeking to provide their children with necessary services. Nevada is the third state to pass autism insurance reform this year, and joins ten other states – Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas – that have passed similar autism insurance reform bills. Colorado and Connecticut each have similar bills awaiting signature by their respective governors.

Assembly Bill 162 was sponsored by Assemblyman James Ohrenschall (D-12) and was helped throughout the process by the thousands of families in Nevada affected by autism.

"I am so excited for Nevada's families who have children with autism,” said Ralph Toddre, Commissioner of the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders. “This is the best thing about the American Government - identifying a problem, proposing a solution to those who can fix it and getting it done. Thank you so much to all the families and friends who participated in this herculean effort. It isn't often our families win but they definitely did today."

Pictured above 1: Gov. Jim Gibbons (middle), joined by Lorri Unumb (right), Autism Speaks senior policy advisor, and Ralph Toddre (left), commissioner of the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders, holds up the newly signed autism insurance reform law.

Pictured above 2: Gov. Jim Gibbons signs AB 162 into law

Featured Nevada Headlines:

Autism Speaks Joins The Nevada Autism Community In Applauding The State Legislature For Passing Autism Insurance Legislation (May 27, 2009)

Autism Speaks Joins The Nevada Autism Community In Denouncing Assemblyman Settelmeyer’s Veiled Attempt To Dismantle Support For Autism Insurance Reform Bill (April 24, 2009) 

Autism Speaks Joins the Nevada Autism Community In Applauding State Assembly Members for Passing Autism Insurance Legislation (April 21, 2009)

Autism Speaks Endorses Nevada Autism Insurance Reform Bill (February 13, 2009)

Summary of Nevada Autism Insurance Reform Law:

Assembly Bill 162 - Sponsored by Assemblyman James Ohrenschall (D-12)

• Requires private health insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder
  
  
• 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 appropriate
  
  
• Coverage will be provided to individuals under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 if the individual is enrolled in high school
  
  
• Coverage under this bill is subject to a maximum benefit of $36,000 annually for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy
  
  
• The bill defines "medically appropriate" as any care, treatment, intervention, service, or item that is prescribed, provided, or ordered by a licensed physician or a licenses psychologist that will, or is reasonably expected to
  • prevent the onset of an illness, condition, injury, or disability;
  • reduce or ameliorate the physical, mental, or developmental effects of an illness, condition, injury, or disability; or
  • assist to achieve or maintain maximum functional capacity in performing daily activities, taking into account both the functional capacity of the individual and the functional capacities that are appropriate for individuals of the same age
    
    
• The bill includes coverage of the following treatments: Diagnosis, Habilitative or rehabilitative care, Pharmacy care, Psychiatric care, Psychological care, Therapeutic care, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and behavioral therapies
  
  
• The bill defines "behavioral therapy" as "any interactive therapy derived from evidence-based research, including, without limitation, discrete trial training, early intensive behavioral intervention, intensive intervention programs, pivotal response training and verbal behavior"
  
  
• The bill applies only to fully-funded group health plans governed by state law and to state, county, andschool dristrict health plans offered to public employees