Advocates: Insurers should pay share of autism therapy
September 16th, 2008From the Boston Globe:
Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy group, is planning a legislative push in 20 states to require insurers to pay a share of the cost of intensive treatments that parents say can cost up to $100,000 a year.
Similar laws have passed recently in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. But private insurers are resisting efforts to get them to pay, saying such requirements would drive up insurance costs for everyone. They’re especially wary of what is called applied behavior analysis or ABA, an intense weekly regimen of over 30 hours that they say is not proven to be effective. Teachers of ABA are not licensed in many states.
Parents say the treatments are prescribed by doctors, and should be covered like other medical treatments.


September 16th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
So why only Autism and not all Developmental disabilities?