Senate Approves Autism Coverage Bill
The Georgia Senate approved a bill 51 to 0 that would require private insurance companies to provide coverage for autism treatment. Under the legislation, companies would be required to provide coverage for children with autism who are six and under.
For many Senators the legislation was personal. That was the case with Republican Senator Renee Unterman, who spoke about her late son, Zak.
“He didn’t talk until he was three years old, and we were so proud of him. He said momma, and he said daddy. Nobody knew what autism was. There was no Marcus Institute. There was nowhere to go.”
Unterman says she spent countless hours trying to get her son help.
“He saw psychiatrists, he saw psychologists … It cost a lot of money.”
But despite that help, Unterman says her son didn’t graduate from high school because he couldn’t concentrate. Unterman said Zak later took his own life.
“And it was tragic.”
Unterman says she has seen positive outcomes for children with autism who receive early diagnosis and treatment. And she urged Senators to help those who suffer from the disorders.
I’m here to ask you not to let other children, to give them a second chance. Lots of people don’t have money. The majority of people don’t have to be able to afford to be able to take care of this disease process.”
The bill was also personal to Tommie Williams. Ava, the daughter of his niece, has responded well to autism treatment. Williams has been pushing for similar legislation for several years.
“This bill is about people, not on Medicaid, not on government welfare. This is about people who save up their money to buy insurance to find out when their kid is diagnosed with autism they’re not covered. They deserve better policies.”
Democratic Senator Nan Orrock also spoke in support of the bill, but she says she wishes the legislation went further.
“I would much prefer to see us to have a bill that covers children up to the age 18. That’s what needed. That seems to not be what’s politically possible at this point.”
The legislation would not require autism treatment coverage for plans under a federal health insurance exchange that Georgians can participate in under the Affordable Care Act. Companies with 10 or fewer employees would also be exempt. It would allow insurance companies to limit coverage for applied behavior analysis to $35,000 dollars per year. The bill now heads to the House where it’s expected to receive some resistance from a number of Republicans who are concerned about the state placing a mandate on private businesses.
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