Father pursues class-action status for autism suit
July 4th, 2008From the Detroit News:
Chris Johns, the father of a child with autism, is seeking class-action status for a federal lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that aims to force the insurer to cover intensive behavioral therapy.
“I knew there were other parents in my situation,” said Johns, whose son Donovan was diagnosed with autism in November 2004. “It’s extremely frustrating, but more than that it’s extremely draining. I’m not speaking from a solely financial aspect. It’s draining on a psychological level, a relationship level.”
However, insurers claim that long-term studies on autism educational therapies have been inconclusive and that, according to Michigan state law, employers are responsible for including the coverage in their plans, not insurers.


