Voices Blogs Beacon Backroom Missouri Senate gives initial OK to bill mandating insurance coverage for autism | Missouri Senate gives initial OK to bill mandating insurance coverage for autism |
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| By Jo Mannies, Beacon Political Reporter | |
| Posted 4:56 pm Wed., 02.03.10 | |
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The bill is sponsored by two area Republicans -- state Sens. Scott T. Rupp of St. Charles County and Eric Schmitt of Glendale. Schmitt has a son with autism. The bill would require coverage for diagnosis and treatment of individuals up to age 21, and would require coverage of therapy of up to $55,000 a year for those up to age 21. An earlier version had recommended a higher limit of $72,000, the figure preferred by many advocates.
(Click here to watch the video of Schmitt's floor speech.)
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that autism strikes one out of 91 children in the United States. Rupp and Schmitt noted that rate is "more than AIDS, juvenile diabetes and cancer, combined." Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, swiftly issued a statement praising the Senate action: “Today marks an important step forward for our efforts to ensure that Missouri children with autism have access to the treatments and services they need. Just weeks into the session, members of the Missouri Senate have worked together, in a strongly bipartisan way, to give initial approval to a bill mandating that insurance companies cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism. I look forward to continuing to work closely with legislators from both parties to pass these important protections.”
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The Missouri Senate acted this afternoon to give first-round approval to a bill requiring insurers in the state to cover autism treatment.
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To see a larger version and read the story, click here .
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