Support HB 1291 and SB 2654

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:

1. There is early detection and intervention coverage for breast cancer, etc., but no coverage for autism treatments.
   
2. What good is an early diagnosis, when the appropriate interventions for autism are out of reach financially for the majority of Florida families?
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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.
   
7. 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.
   
8. 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.