Although none of four local parents of children with autism will benefit from the Missouri Legislature’s passage of a law that will provide insurance coverage for treatment of the disorder, they all agree that the early intervention it will promote is a big step in the right direction.
“If children with autism receive therapy like ABA [applied behavior analysis] early on, it can cause such a transformation,” says Brookfield resident and Chair of the Central Missouri Advisory Committee on Autism Lauree Head.
Julie Wright of Brookfield, the mother of a 20-year-old son with autism, couldn’t agree more: “I couldn’t be more thrilled that this legislation passed. Early treatment of individuals with any developmental disability is vital to that individual’s success.” Unfortunately, Wright’s son, Brad, won’t benefit from the legislation Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed (House Bill 1311) at several special ceremonies held two weeks ago because the insurance coverage that law provides only applies to individuals with autism who are age 18 or younger. Lauree Head’s 13-year-old with autism, Jael, won’t qualify for the insurance coverage either, but for a different reason: the new law only applies to group insurance policies that are regulated by the Missouri Department of Insurance, which is an estimated 25 to 40 percent of the entire insurance market. Jael’s Dad, George Head, is retired from the military and his insurance coverage isn’t regulated by any particular state.
Two other local parents of children with autism, Carter Sappington and Carol McKenney, have previously participated in programs that employed ABA but have since pursued alternative therapy options that aren’t eligible for insurance coverage under Missouri’s new law. The law specifically requires group insurance policies to provide up to $40,000 annually for claims in which ABA or something very similar is the chosen treatment approach.
- See today's LCL for the full story
