At least 15 states mandate some type of insurance coverage for autism treatments. Now an advocacy group is offering a set of frequently asked questions breaking down the basics of each state’s law.
The fact sheets created by Autism Speaks’ lobbying initiative Autism Votes and the George Washington University Law School offer a plain English guide to what’s covered by autism insurance legislation in each state.
Examples of questions that are asked and answered include “what coverage is mandated by the law” and “is applied behavioral analysis (ABA) covered?” The fact sheets also detail any monetary caps on coverage.
Currently autism insurance legislation exists in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Fact sheets for each state are available on the Autism Votes Web site.
Autism insurance legislation is under consideration in several other states. Advocates also pushed for an autism insurance mandate to be included in federal health care reform efforts, which are now stalled.
