17 States Don't Mandate That Insurance Cover Autism
Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
The Impact Of Insurance Legislation
Recently, legislators in Kansas have been considering a proposal that would make it mandatory for insurance companies to cover autism. This would be a huge step forward for families dealing with autism in Kansas, but it has also brought attention to the fact that there are still 17 states that don't have this mandate. This may seem like a minor issue, but for those with autisitic children access to insurance is essential.
Families Without Coverage Are Suffering
It's no secret that medical care is incredibly expensive, and this is doubly true when you consider specialty treatments like those necessary for children with autism. These behavioral treatments are extremely important to the quality of life an individual with autism will enjoy, and can often be necessary for years. Without these treatments, children suffering from autism have tremendous difficulty dealing with social situations and becoming independent adults. No parent wants this future for their child, but there are very few options when treatments can cost upwards of $60,000 per year and insurance won't cover them. This is the stark situation faced by thousands of families who live in the states that don't mandate coverage of autism. If the law is not changed, these families will continue to face inadequate care for their children and financial ruin. This alone is terrible, but it is also important to consider how this can cost society greatly. These autistic children who go without care often fail to ever become independent. When this occurs, these individuals often rely upon social programs sponsored by the government for help.
Fixing The Law
Though it's admirable of Kansas legislators to attempt to fix this situation with insurance in their state, what we really need is a nation wide solution. No family in America who has a child born with autism should go without the help they need, and this will continue to happen without federal legislation. Unfortunately, nothing has yet been done about this situation. Moving forward we can only hope that education and progressive medical legislation deals with this issue as soon as possible so more children and their families don't need to suffer.
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