Tuesday, March 15, 2011

RI bill would make insurers cover autism treatment

Rhode Island insurance companies would be required to cover therapies for the treatment of autism under a bill in the state's General Assembly. The House Corporation Committee will hold hearings on the bill Tuesday evening.

Parents of children with autism have long complained to lawmakers that insurers refuse to pay for expensive treatments for the disorder. Rep. Peter Palumbo, a Cranston Democrat, is the lead sponsor of the legislation.

Similar bills have been introduced around the country. The cost of autism treatments, often called applied behavior analysis, can run into the tens of thousands of dollars per year. Insurers have told lawmakers that mandating coverage of the treatments could lead to increased costs for all policy holders.

Read the rest of the article here.

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