‘Who pays for autism treatment?’
July 6th, 2008From the Los Angeles Times:
All across the country, there is a heated political and legal struggle dividing parents, insurers and the government. At issue: who is going to pay for autism treatment. Resolving the conflict will take years, experts say. Parents say they are being forced into debt, personally paying for services that others should cover.
Parents, in growing numbers, say insurers aren’t doing their part. Proposed class-action lawsuits — including one filed in April against Kaiser and another filed late last month against Anthem Blue Cross — allege that California’s largest health plans are shirking their duties to autistic members.
Health plans say they cover medically necessary care. The problem, they say, is that parents ask for treatment that insurers deem experimental, or for basic skills training that has long been provided by state-funded regional centers and schools.


