The state of Illinois has passed a law requiring insurance companies to pay up to $36,000 a year for treatment for children and teens with autism. This is the latest victory in a multi-state insurance accountability campaign launched by the advocacy organization Autism Speaks. So far, similar laws have been adopted by Arizona, Louisiana, Florida and Pennsylvania.
|
People with autism may face severe challenges in their ability to communicate and relate to others and exhibit rigid routines or repetitive behaviors. Because ASD is a spectrum, not all people are affected in the same way. Some people are severely impaired in the ability to function in everyday life, while others may be highly successful in school and in the workplace.
The scientific community has not yet determined the etiology of autism. The latest research indicates that genetics likely play a role; at the same time, an environmental “trigger” for the condition has not been ruled out and continues to be pursued by researchers. One thing that researchers and families of children with autism can agree on is that early identification and treatment are essential.
According to the organization Autism Speaks: “Currently, there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure. Research indicates, however, that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many young children with autism spectrum disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social and cognitive skills.”
The most effective early therapies for children with autism are very intensive. One research-validated approach is called Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy. ABA is provided in one-on-one sessions, 40 hours a week and costs over $30,000 a year. The high cost of this proven intervention puts it out of reach of all but the most wealthy families—unless insurance companies cover the costs.
“Some of these families [are] mortgaging their homes, they’re living with relatives, they’re accumulating a lot of debt,” said Illinois Senate sponsor James DeLeo of Chicago. “People have filed for bankruptcy in order to finance the medical services for children with autism.”
Of course, the capitalist class is opposed to expanding coverage to include comprehensive autism treatment because it will cut into their profits. Kim Maisch, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Business, whined: “As an employer, if you purchase health insurance in Illinois, every policy purchased in the state will have this policy mandated in it. … It’s going to affect small and medium-sized businesses that buy health insurance in an open market for their employees.”
Autism advocates are fighting the good fight state by state, pushing through mandatory insurance laws. Nonetheless, such laws, as important as they are, fail to address the crisis faced by uninsured families of children with autism. The autism crisis underscores just how sick the for-profit U.S. healthcare system is. A socialized healthcare system would make physical and mental health care a human right, not a commodity.
