Tennessee could be the next state to require private health insurance companies to cover the cost of autism therapy. There is a bill that, if passed into law, would require the coverage. If that happens, it will greatly benefit Tennessee families who are currently struggling to pay for the cost of the treatment that their children need.
There are 34 states that have passed laws that require private insurance companies to cover the cost of treatment for autism. A growing number of states that do not have this law in place are beginning to take the steps to make it so. In Tennessee, there is a bill that, if passed into law, would make things financially easier on families who have children with autism. The bill would require coverage for autism treatment.
Bill SB 1286 is sponsored by two Tennessee Senators. One is Senator Jim Kyle (who is a Democrat), and the other is Senator Jim Tracy, (who is a Republican). Their two bills were nearly identical so each signed on to the other’s plan. Together, they are working to push this legislation forward.
In 2006, Tennessee enacted a law that required insurers to cover speech therapy for children who had autism. SB 1286 provides more. It would require health insurance policies to cover screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Lawmakers are still determining the cost of implementing this legislation. The coverage is intended to begin in 2014, which could mean some of the costs might be picked up by the Affordable Care Act.
Senator Tracy had this to say:
I just think folks who know folks need to step up and speak up to let the legislators know that this is something Tennessee children deserve no less than children in other states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC estimate that 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That comes to about 11.3 children per 1,000. It is a 23% increase in diagnosis since the previous CDC report that was done in 2009, and a 78% increase since their first report that was done in 2007.
Treatment for autism is ongoing and can be expensive. The National Conference of State Legislatures points out a study that was done by the Harvard School of Public Health. That study estimated that it costs $3.2 million to take care of an individual with autism for his or her lifetime. The same study found it costs society an estimated $35 billion a year to care for all children who have autism.
Image by Amy the Nurse on Flickr