A Reason to Move

I found this on a list-serv. Maybe my next stop in life is New York...

Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:12 am (PST)

Yesterday New York Governor George Pataki signed a new law that will require health Insurance companies regulated by the State of New York to provide the same health care procedures to people with an autism spectrum diagnosis that would be provided to people with other diagnoses. The bill will help correct the long-standing practice by health insurers of denying necessary health care to people with autism.

The bill also defines autism spectrum disorders as "neurobiological disorders." This definition is important becuse some health insurance companies have claimed that autism is a mental health disorder and therefore not covered.

Health insurance companies have used a variety of excuses to deny health care to people with autism.

The bill came to fruition after a four-year battle. The bill was conceived by Marty Schwartzmann, and Andrew Baumann, who is President of New York Families for Autistic Children. Both are fathers of sons with autism and both are residents of Queens. Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer of Queens introduced the legislation in the Assembly and Senator Charles Fuschillo of Nassau County introduced the bill in the Senate.

A coaliton of every autism-related membership organization in the state came together to press the bill as the top legislative priority of the community. "This just goes to show what parents of kids with autism can achieve if we pull together as team," said John Gilmore, a boardmember of ACHAMP and an organizer of the coalition.

Similar legislation is being developed for Congress to stop discrimination by insurance companies regulated under federal law.

The group that supported the measure include:


ACHAMP, Advocates for Children’s Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning
AHA/AS/PDD
AutismConcepts.com
Autism Society of America, Albany
Autism Society of America, Brooklyn
Autism Society of America, Bronx
Autism Society of America, Central New York
Autism Society of America, Fulton/Montgomery
Autism Society of America, Hudson Valley
Autism Society of America, Nassau/Suffolk
Autism Society of America, Manhattan
Autism Society of America, Queens
Autism Society of America, Western New York
Autism Speaks
Central New York, Families for Effective Autism Treatment
Cure Autism Now
Disability News Radio
FAIR Autism Media
Generation Rescue
GRASP, Global and Regional Asperger’s Syndrome Partnership
National Autism Association, National
National Autism Association, Central New York
National Autism Association, Long Island
National Autism Association, New York Metro
New York Families for Autistic Children
SafeMinds, Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders
Schafer Autism Report
The Autism Autoimmunity Project
Unlocking Autism
UNYFEAT, Upstate New York Families for Effective Autism Treatment