Bill would mandate insurance coverage for autism treatment

Liz Wagner - KRNV Reno

A bill being discussed by state leaders this legislative session could change the lives of children with autism and those of their families as well.

Assembly Bill 162 would mandate insurance coverage for autism screening and treatment. It can cost as much as $40,000 a year for effective treatment and right now many providers refuse to cover it. Proponents say if we don't pay it now, we'll pay ten times the amount or more later.

Lawmakers, autism advocates, and insurance companies are close to making the bill a reality.

Four-year-old Cameron Kmetz has autism, but you wouldn't know it. Two years of therapy, called behavioral analysis, has transformed him. When Cameron was diagnosed with autism, he couldn't speak. He wouldn't engage with other children and he withdrew into himself.

But now he plays with other kids his age, speaks in full sentences, and laughs... a lot.

Cameron's parents, Marcia and Rick Kmetz, credit his progress to intensive therapy. Cameron logs nearly 30 hours each week with five therapists. The treatment is expensive.

Explains Marcia, "I knew in my heart that this was the right program, that this was going to be the answer for my child, and then he (therapist) said it costs $2,000 a month. We both broke down in tears because we couldn't afford it. We couldn't think about affording it and we knew we had the answer in front of us, but we couldn't have access to it. "

The Kmetzs do receive some help from The Sierra Kids Foundation, but ask other families who have children with autism and they will tell you the burden is a heavy one.

"Therapy for my son is costing $30,000 a year and we just cannot afford that for much longer," said Wendy Hruska, who is caring for a child with autism.

Said parent Kevin Richards," I work six days a week. A lot of the time in the evenings, I take care of the boys so Toni (spouse) can go to work so we can make as much money as we possibly can. Even with as much money as we are making, it still doesn't come up with as much as we need to help Tyler and give him everything he needs."

A piece of legislation could provide financial relief to thousands of Nevada families coping with autism. Assembly Bill 162 would mandate insurance for autism treatment. It's treatment that is, according to experts, vital to children who suffer from autism. That treatment could allow them to live productive lives and become contributing members of society.

The bill has wide support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. 49 of the 63 have signed on.

Ralph Toddre is a member of the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders. He is optimistic that teamwork will help pass this legislation.

The legislative team working on this, Assembly-people Leslie, Conklin, Orenschall, and under the direction of one of the best referees in the state, Speaker Buckley - they want this to happen and want to help our kids. It's going to be us working together with not only the legislature, but insurance industry and advocates and I think we can all get together and come up with something that makes sense for everybody, but keeping in mind it's for the best interest of kids and families.

Toddre believes it is those kids and families who will motivate the right people to do the right thing.

We do need to get this done. We do need to get this done this time. It's the right bill at the right time and I think everyone involved believes that both the advocates and insurance industry. I hope when this is all over I can sit there and say, see, I told you, people do do the right thing. If I can't, then shame on all of us.

If the bill passes, Nevada would join a growing number of states that require insurance coverage. Three other pieces of legislation concerning autism are currently being drafted in the state legislature.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29308612/

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