Support HB 1291 and SB 2654
Autism spectrum disorders affect Florida families in unprecedented, epidemic proportion. For this growing segment of the population, there is a disproportionate and inverse relationship as it relates to the amount of health insurance coverage the parents, family members and caregivers have to effectively treat these children for sickness and medical impairments in the following areas: neurological (including seizures and motor impairments), behavioral, immunological, social skill deficits, sensory and gastrointestinal disorders, dental and eye care, occupational. speech/language and physical therapies.
Early diagnosis and intervention in these areas is critical to effectively treat this disease. In many cases, families have no insurance coverage to treat any of these conditions and are in a state of financial devastation as a result of out of pocket expenses paid to treat their child who will have medical illness and disease in 1 or more of the costly medical conditions noted above.
It is imperative that the appropriate interventions needed by each Florida child who has an autism spectrum disorder be accessible, in the areas noted above, through mandatory health insurance coverage in the state of Florida. This is PARAMOUNT, so that long term outcomes will be improved. Our current private insurance accessibility/coverage make these crucial interventions impossible to receive. As a result, these sick children are either not receiving these services due to high costs, or; families are having to forego helpful but costly treatments for their child to try and avoid being cast into a state of financial ruin. Many times, families do end up in a state of bankruptcy due to their desperate attempts to try and pay for treatment for their child, in spite of the lack of insurance coverage.
Autism spectrum disorders affect Florida families in unprecedented, epidemic proportion. For this growing segment of the population, there is a disproportionate and inverse relationship as it relates to the amount of health insurance coverage the parents, family members and caregivers have to effectively treat these children for sickness and medical impairments in the following areas: neurological (including seizures and motor impairments), behavioral, immunological, social skill deficits, sensory and gastrointestinal disorders, dental and eye care, occupational. speech/language and physical therapies.
Early diagnosis and intervention in these areas is critical to effectively treat this disease. In many cases, families have no insurance coverage to treat any of these conditions and are in a state of financial devastation as a result of out of pocket expenses paid to treat their child who will have medical illness and disease in 1 or more of the costly medical conditions noted above.
It is imperative that the appropriate interventions needed by each Florida child who has an autism spectrum disorder be accessible, in the areas noted above, through mandatory health insurance coverage in the state of Florida. This is PARAMOUNT, so that long term outcomes will be improved. Our current private insurance accessibility/coverage make these crucial interventions impossible to receive. As a result, these sick children are either not receiving these services due to high costs, or; families are having to forego helpful but costly treatments for their child to try and avoid being cast into a state of financial ruin. Many times, families do end up in a state of bankruptcy due to their desperate attempts to try and pay for treatment for their child, in spite of the lack of insurance coverage.
We, the undersigned, are asking you to please support HB 1291 and/or SB 2654 to stop health insurance companies from discriminating against those who have been diagnosed with autism. This bill is a public-private solution that ends discrimination based on diagnosis. We also ask that you would support additional funding for covering these costs when small businesses have employees, the self-employed or those who have no insurance have family members who are autistic.
Autism spectrum disorders affect Florida families in unprecedented, epidemic proportion. For this growing segment of the population, there is a disproportionate and inverse relationship as it relates to the amount of health insurance coverage the parents, family members and caregivers have to effectively treat these children for sickness and medical impairments in the following areas: neurological (including seizures and motor impairments), behavioral, immunological, social skill deficits, sensory and gastrointestinal disorders, dental and eye care, occupational, speech/language and physical therapies.
Early diagnosis and intervention in these areas is critical to effectively treat the various medical aspects of autism. In many cases, families have no insurance coverage to treat any of these conditions and are in a state of financial devastation as a result of out of pocket expenses paid to treat their child who will have medical illness and disease in 1 or more of the costly medical conditions noted above.
It is imperative that the appropriate interventions needed by each Florida child who has an autism spectrum disorder be accessible, in the areas noted above, through health insurance coverage in the state of Florida. This is PARAMOUNT, so that long term outcomes will be improved. Our current private insurance accessibility/coverage makes these crucial interventions impossible to receive. As a result, these sick children are either not receiving these services due to high costs, or; families have to forego helpful but costly treatments for their child to try and avoid being cast into a state of financial ruin. Many times, families do end up in a state of bankruptcy due to their desperate attempts to try and pay for treatment for their child, in spite of the lack of insurance coverage.
Here are some key points to consider:
- There is early detection and intervention coverage for breast cancer, etc., but no coverage for autism treatments.
- What good is an early diagnosis, when the appropriate interventions for autism are out of reach financially for the majority of Florida families?
- Individuals who have other illnesses usually don't end up in long-term residential settings for the rest of their adult lives costing the state thousands upon thousands of dollars. And that is probably a conservative figure.
- Early detection and intervention, meaning science-based and proven treatments provide better outcomes for individuals with autism so that they can be productive US citizens.
- The Florida school systems are ill-equipped to provide ABA therapy and they do not provide as well as go out of their way not to provide such therapies, even when outside evaluations recommend it as the early intensive intervention treatment needed.
- Autism is not a psychiatric and/or mental illness disorder, it is neurological disorder, with other medical problems associated with it, such as immune dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems, seizures, gross and fine motor problems, sensory dysfunctions, etc.
- Autism is not just a political party issue, i.e. Democrats vs Republicans, nor is it the result of an epidemic outbreak of bad genes. No single gene causing autism has been identified. It affects all people. It does not distinguish from income bracket, race, religion, party affiliation, social status, etc. None of these factors make one immune from having autism affect a family member.
- There are several states who have already passed autism insurance bills including New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maine %u2014 have laws mandating insurance coverage for autism-related ailments. See http://autismbulletin.blogspot.com/2007/07/map-of-state-autism-insurance-laws.html http://autismbulletin.blogspot.com/2007/06/texas-governor-signs-autism-insurance.html http://www.autismspeaks.org/government_affairs/mississippi_insurance_legislation_introduced.php http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12829221 http://www.autismspeaks.org/inthenews/south_carolina_insurance.php
Thank you for taking the time to consider this very important issue that impacts thousands of families across the state of Florida.
I teach students with autism and I have seen how much early intervention can change a child's life for the better. It is a critical time when the child should be recieving plenty of services.
Please help our autistic kids with this bill. Thanks Robert Cayouette
My son Brian really needs your help with passing these bills through the House and the Senate. He has been receiving sporatic treatment and would benefit greately by getting consistent treatment. He has had Speech off and on, and could use Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy and more speech therapy.
Therapies for autism are expensive and the money problems my husband and I faced as a result have torn us apart. Now I am a single mom trying to keep my son in his therapies but I am struggling to pay for his therapies and now my house is in foreclosure. Please pass this bill to help families affected by autism get the necessary therapies. Thank you.
I have two girls with autism and stuggle to afford the help to make them better, allowing them to get the therapy they need
I have been a Speech-language Pathologist for twenty years and have worked with many children with autism. I know first hand the importance of early intervention. These critical services can have such an impact on the progress these children make. If these services are covered in the early years it could save insurance companies and tax payers money down the road.
I have known many families, including friends and parents of students of mine, that have taken out excessive loans, refinanced their homes or have gone deeply into debt to pay for critical services that have the potential to be life changing for their child. I have also seen familie go without services for their child because they couldn't affort them. How heartbreaking for parents to be unable to meet their child's most basic and necessary needs at a critical time in their development and to always wonder "What if we could have done more, what if we had been able to pay for those services...".
Family member who is a resident of Florida has incurred out of pocket costs for their Autisic son's therapy with very little covered by their insurance and state funding. These children need this help early in life to improve their quality of life now and as they grow.
My youngest son was diagnosed with ASD. This has had a tremendous impact on the family, including grandparents and other relatives. There's too much missunderstanding and lack of information and resources in regards to the autism, its causes and efects on the individual, the family and the society. We all need to unite to find ways to help.
I have a 16 year old Autistic Son who also has a seizure disorder. I am a single parent as well. I can not begin to tell you the effect this has had on my financially, physically and emotionally. Something needs to be done about how our disabled society is treated.
I see friends,other families,and even my Sister having to take out loans to pay for treatment/therapies and specialty camps for these children.Why should they have to go into debt and be at risk of losing everything.They are just trying to do the best for their kids.
My sister has to work two full time job leaving her very little time with her son.So we all have to pull some weight.
My son is autisic, more needs to be done. The public schools in palm beach county do nothing to help, but take all the feds money. They are so far behind that it is horrible. They say that all staff is trained to deal with these autisic children, but that is a lie. Future parents should stay away from this county if your child has ANY disability. If you do not believe me, just ask for speech therapy for your child and hold on because the excuses will be coming on how/why they can't do it/"your child does not need it even though your specialist says otherwise".... Anyway, I hope this bill passes, because my son really needs speech and my insurance only covers restorative speech, meaning after a stroke.... Thank You..
Children and the families affected by Autism need the help and support of the medical community to include affordable treatment and therapy.
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How has lack of funding or inaccessibility to insurance coverage of needed services for your autistic family member affected your family and loved one
As a special education teacher I have seen how autism impacts all aspects of a family life. They need as much access to medical services as can be provided!
We need help with this growing epidemic. The burden is huge for families.
I have twin sons, one with autism. They are 11 years old.I love them both dearly and I am reminded daily, due to his twin, of how my autistic son would be if he hadn't developed regressive autism at age 18 months.
A single mom. No child support or alimony. Credit cards maxed from Dr. bills and medicines and supplements not paid for by insurance. Injured my back while struggling to get my autistic son out of the van one morning to try to get him to go to school. Unable to work short term, no health insurance. Lost my home, my car, had to claim bankruptcy. Five years later, I have saved enough money to see the autism specialist we had been seeing five years ago that was making an impact on my son's digestive and behavioral issues. We were on the waiting list to make an appointment for 8 months, and had to wait two more until the appointment. It is next month. My son has been complaining daily of "stomach hurt, belly x-ray, need belly medicine" and two GI specialists on his current insurance have not been able to help him. "He is autistic, he will have a nervous stomach" or "try Mylanta" is not an answer to a child that is in pain and can't express how he feels. I will keep searching for help for him, in every dollar I save to be able to pay for it.
Our 5 year old son with asperger syndrome requires occupational therapy to improve his motor skills. Before OT treatment, he would fall of swings, and he couldn't climb monkey bars. His handwriting was extremely poor because he couldn't control the pencil. He has extensive sensory issues that have prevented him from concentrating in the classroom. In home OT treatments have helped him to manage his AS symptoms. We sold our car to pay for treatments because we recognized that early intervention would help him to adjust better to his environment.
OT treatments are expensive! The school provides this service several times each week at their facility, but home treatments provide the comfort of knowing that my son is getting consistent, professional treatment for his disability.
We all have families and we all can be touched by this disease. Let us make a differance.
MY 12 YEAR OLD GRANDSON HAS AUTISM.I SEE HOW HARD THIS IS ON MY DAUGHTER MENTALLY AND FINANCIALLY.HE AND ALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE COVERED BY INSURANCE. PLEASE HELP.
As a mother of a child diagnosed with Aspergers, I plea for your assistance with quality, educated medical care. The state also needs to set up classroom for these students who only show mild autistic symptoms, but need the same quality of teaching.
My insurance only pays 15% of my son's therapist bill. All intellectual testing was not covered - we had to pay over $3,000 for all his testing.
My son is 7 years old and has been in therapy since he is 3. He has made tremendous progress but we're still not done. We are $50,000 in debt to date and struggle to find ways to continue to finance his therapy. How can we stop when I know he will talk someday. Please help. Every child should have voice.
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IT HAS PUT MY SISTERS FAMILY IN FINANCIAL STRESS AND ALONG WITH THE STRESS OF HAVING AN AUTISTIC SON IT IS JUST OVERWHELMING. iT IS A DOUBLE PUNISHMENT FOR THESE FAMILIES.
My son is 7 years old and has been in therapy since he is 3. He has made tremendous progress but we're still not done. We are $50,000 in debt to date and struggle to find ways to continue to finance his therapy. How can we stop when I know he will talk someday. Please help. Every child should have voice.
I have seen how having good insurance coverage can benefit the whole child. It can provide therapies that some families wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. It will help to make any child more successful.
For my son James,13, a child with tremendous potential.
We have spent thousands of dollars that insurance will not cover trying to help our Autistic child. Add this to the fact that one of us must stay home to care for our child. We just want our child better so that he too can function in life and reach his full potential, which we now know is possible with treatment. We are not alone. In our small town’s support group alone, there are 70 other children like ours- all with families struggling with the immense financial burden. Please help.
already signed and made a real long comment and hoped people with family members who have this have read my new hope on this subject.
Im signing this petition for my adorable niece Amelia Cay and all the other children as well as their families Autism has affected every minute of every day.
My sister has had to quit her job to stay home to take care of my niece. Fortunately she has health insurance, but unfortunately many therapies are not covered by insurance including ABA. Medical bills from diagnostic testing and lab work to multiple doctors including neurologists and developemental pediatricans, and the different therapies including speech, OT, physical, and now ABA are continuing to add up and will continue indefinately until we get our Amelia back.
