“Letters: Autism coverage well worth the cost - Detroit Free Press” plus 1 more |
| Letters: Autism coverage well worth the cost - Detroit Free Press Posted: 01 Dec 2010 03:29 AM PST Autism insurance reform in Michigan should be passed in the remaining few days of this legislative session. By doing so, the Senate would save taxpayers billions of dollars while also ending discrimination toward those struggling with this disorder. Seems like a no-brainer, right? The state House thought so when it passed the bills in landslide fashion early this summer. Since then, numerous hearings have been held across Michigan in an effort to educate the Senate on this issue. Some of Michigan's most respected leaders in medicine, academia and economics have testified in favor of the bills. However, some still oppose the bills, citing a general policy of not supporting insurance "mandates." This is a shortsighted attitude and stands to undermine the very principles they stand for. The science is sound, the economic benefits are clear, and the moral obligation is undeniable. In an economic climate in which cost-saving opportunities are coveted, the Michigan Senate has been presented with a golden one. Passing autism insurance reform would create a meaningful legacy for this Senate, while failure to execute would only validate conjecture of dysfunction. Self-serving positionIt is disingenuous for Lt. Gov.-elect Brian Calley to make a self-serving impassioned plea for the Michigan Senate to bring the House-passed autism health care legislation to the floor for a vote before Dec. 31 ("Calley pushes for autism reform," Nov. 28). Gov.-elect Rick Snyder is not taking a position on this bill, yet Calley, the father of a 3-year-old daughter with an autism spectrum disorder is using his newly gained power to push through legislation that would ease his financial health care burden. Can you say self-serving? Can you say an abuse of legislative power? Can you say welcome to Michigan, the land of unilateral Republicanism? Why has Calley made no such plea to bring the House-passed mental health parity bill to the Senate floor? Where is his impassioned plea on behalf of all children suffering with a brain disorder? [Page 2 of 3] It is wrong for Michigan to pass autism legislation when we are still a state without mental health parity. No child is more important than another, and that includes the child of our soon-to-be lieutenant governor. Equal concern for allJust like former Vice President Dick Cheney's position on gay rights, based on his record, I suspect Lt. Gov.-elect Brian Calley's position on autism reform legislation may well be different if this issue did not impact on him or his family. I sincerely hope that when he takes office he will show equal sensitivity on issues facing Michigan families that do not affect him personally. Unfair coverageRich Studley, president of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, states that "questions of insurance coverage should be decided in the workplace by employees and employers." Studley suggests that those receiving and paying for benefits might decide that resources are better spent on additional pay or pension benefits rather than insurance coverage for autism or mental illness or substance abuse. Unfortunately, Studley fails to see the gaping flaw in this argument. Families (both employers and employees) who are covered by workplace health insurance pay in equally for the coverage, but those with mental health needs (including autism and substance use disorders) do not get equal coverage. This is discriminatory on its face, and now comes the suggestion that these families should also subsidize pay or pension increases for those who are lucky enough to not need mental health benefits (yet). While mandating specific treatments or maximum dollar limits as called for in the current autism coverage bills in the Senate are not the right approach, all of Michigan's employees and their families deserve a law that guarantees nondiscriminatory mental health coverage. Good for kids, and the budgetThe Michigan Legislature is finally considering autism insurance reform legislation. If passed, this law would provide medical insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with autism. [Page 3 of 3] In addition, Michigan stands to save millions of dollars every year. However, private interest groups that oppose insurance mandates assert, with no support and without considering the big picture, that this is a bad law for Michigan because health care premiums would increase. A study conducted in 2009 estimated that insurance rates would increase by less than 1% if the state adopts the legislation. Twenty-three states have enacted similar laws. Those states have confirmed a minimal increase in premiums. That same study calculated a total savings of $13.9 billion to Michigan taxpayers. Treatment would allow many with autism to secure employment and live independently instead of relying on government services and subsidies for support. Michigan public schools would also save millions in special education costs. There is also the added economic benefit of providing jobs for treatment providers. I urge the Legislature to pass these bills; Michigan families cannot afford to wait. Our state is facing a $1.6-billion deficit; this is a reform Michigan cannot afford to postpone. Commonsense coverageI am a parent of a child with autism. I paid $20,000 out of pocket in 2009 for my daughter's treatments, despite the fact that I work full time and am covered by a good health insurance policy. If my daughter's condition were childhood bipolar disorder, a good portion of her treatments would have been covered by my policy, including visits to her psychiatrist and her visits to her behavioral therapist. However, my autistic daughter's visits to her MD autism specialist, all the treatments he ordered and she received, including speech therapy, ABA therapy plus others, were not covered. Not even $1 of those treatments was covered by my insurance company. I am not sure how and why that makes sense to anyone, not just in terms of fairness, but common sense. If there are 15,000 children in Michigan with autism, I wonder what percentage of those 15,000 children is getting treatment for autism right now. What impact is that going to have on Michigan's economy, the Medicaid fund, Social Security benefits and public school programs in the years to come? The Michigan Department of Education already spends $100 million every year on children with autism. Actuarial studies show the cost over these children's lifetimes will total in the billions. Doesn't it make sense to try to treat these children with the best therapies that are known to work? Doesn't it make sense for Michigan to make sure that insurance companies stop telling Michigan families that they will cover conditions such as mental illness, cancer and diabetes, but that they will not pay for autism treatments? Actuarial studies show that the cost increase for insurance premiums is well under 1%. The Behavioral Analyst Certification Board estimates that Michigan employs no more than 100 board certified behavioral analysts to provide ABA therapy to children with autism. Florida, which requires coverage, has 1,800 behavioral analysts. Those analysts are jobholders and taxpayers. Doesn't it make sense for Michigan to start covering autism treatments since it makes good fiscal sense to do so for the long term, not just the short term? 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| Vanderbilt launches largest U.S. child health study ever - WKRN Posted: 01 Dec 2010 12:47 PM PST NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in conjunction with the Davidson Partners for Children's Health, on Wednesday launched the largest long-term study of child health in United States. The National Children's Study, which will begin recruiting local mothers and their unborn babies on December 15, will examine how environment, behavior and genetics impact children's health, development and growth. The Study Center plans to recruit 1,000 women who are either pregnant or planning to be pregnant over the next four years. The study will track 100,000 children from before birth to age 21, looking for contributing causes of a myriad of childhood diseases, including autism, asthma, diabetes, obesity, birth defects and mental health disorders. The National Institutes of Health awarded Vanderbilt a $12 million contract in 2008 to be one of 105 study centers across the nation. Only about 30 locations, including Vanderbilt, are currently active as pilot sites. Read more at DavidsonCounty.NationalChildrensStudy.gov. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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