Many states have new requirements for insurance companies this year. In several states, it is now mandatory that health insurance policies will cover the costs of diagnosing and treating autism. The new laws will have a big impact on families who have children who are on the autism spectrum.
It can be overwhelming to learn that your child has autism, especially if you don’t have a very clear idea of what that means, or what to do to help your child. The expense involved with diagnosis, treatment, and working with the variety of specialists that your child needs can quickly add up. Most families struggle to pay for these necessary treatments, especially since most, if not all, health insurance policies would not cover diagnosis of, or treatment for, autism.
Beginning January 1, 2011, several states are requiring health insurance companies to cover the costs associated with autism. A lot of news articles are referring to this change as “autism insurance”. However, it is not actually a separate form of health insurance. You can think of it as something added to existing health insurance policies, and a change to what will be covered by health insurance policies from now on.
The new laws are taking effect in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, and New Hampshire. In 2010, Kentucky and New Jersey included treatment for autism in all health insurance policies. A group called Autism Speaks lobbied for these reforms.
Specific details about what kinds of things are covered can vary from one state to the next. In general, health insurance companies are now required to cover the cost of screening, diagnosis, and treatment such as applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. It also means that insurance companies are not allowed to say that diagnosis of autism counts as a pre-existing condition, and therefore refuse to cover the costs related to treatment.
If you currently have health insurance, it is possible that your policy will not be required to cover those kinds of things until it is time for your policy to renew. Your insurance company might require treatment to come from licensed providers, who are under contract with your insurance company, before they cover treatment. Still, this is a step in the right direction.
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