NY parents protest state's planned autism insurance bill

From The Journal News in N.Y.:

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Parents of children with autism are asking Gov. David Paterson to veto a bill they believe will roll back health insurance coverage for popular therapies.

A dozen families — holding signs and chanting "Veto!" — gathered outside the former Aetna insurance company building on Westchester Avenue this afternoon.

"Our children are not well. They have physical issues. They need good health care," said Louis Conte, a father of two sons on with autism.

The bill, S. 7000, passed last month, mandates insurance companies cover evidence-based, peer-reviewed, clinically-proven therapies for autism. It has been endorsed by Autism Speaks, a national autism advocacy organization.

But the parents today said the bill doesn't go far enough.

Many treatments that benefit children with autism like occupational, physical and speech therapies likely wouldn't be covered because the therapies don't fit that specific criteria.

Because autism research is relatively new, many of the therapies don't treat autism. Rather, doctors and therapists treat the symptoms like delayed speech and lack of fine motor skills.

About 1 in 100 children a year are diagnosed with autism.

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.