Autism Insurance Parity - OHIO

[Guest guest]

The hearing went well. We didn't have much of a turn out, but that

was to be expected. The committee members asked a lot of questions -

which is great! I am not sure how yet - but I think that we need to

really reinforce the idea that the appropriate place for autism

services is NOT within the public school system. Certainly a lot can

be done within schools - but if we wait for schools to properly train

typical teachers and special edu. teachers, these kids will never get

the help they need right this minute. Special education teachers

aren't even trained in autism and ABA! We certainly cannot wait for

colleges to change their curriculum so that our kids can be provided

with free ABA therapy. A particular representative just could not

let that one go. I don't think they have a firm understanding of ABA

yet - that while it does teach certain " academic " type skills it is

much much more than that; it is not stricly an " educational tool. "

Another rep asked about ABA coverage being taken care of through

vouchers. He also (thankfully) mentioned that vouchers, in fact,

take money away from the public education fund. So this option would

ultimately hurt typical kids who desperately need a strong education

as well. They need to understand that this is a fight for MEDICAL

coverage not educational services.

I spoke with one of the aides for Rep. Celeste and he said they are

the ones that encourages this hearing to keep the momentum going

(even though it was too short of a notice for families to

organize).

The Children's medical expert/OSU professor did a fantastic job - he

did a good job fielding these " education " type questions. He

emphasized the fact that autism service providors require highly

specialized training and that public education just isn't the place

for this. A representative from Children's Autism Center spoke.

Lori Peacock and Marla Root read testimony submitted by families.

I was very happy to see the committee member's interest in learning

more and asking questions!!

Now we just need to keep things moving - don't stop submitting

stories!

I will keep everyone posted as soon as I know anything.

Jessie

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House Insurance Committee members:

http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Committee.jsp?ID=18

Ted Celeste:

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 644-6005

Fax : (614) 719-6963

Email Address: district24@...

Jon :

77 S. High St

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 644-6711

Fax : (614) 719-0002

Email Address: district02@...

----------------------------------------------

Autism Insurance Parity

TUESDAY December 4, 2007

2:30

Statehouse Rm. 121

** OPEN TO THE PUBLIC **

This is incredibly short notice, I know. But we just found out about

this ourselves - which might be a strategic move on their part. The

House Insurance Committee has scheduled an Autism Insurance hearing

for TOMORROW December 4, 2007 at 2:30. (See details below). The

turnout at the last hearing was quite impressive - we need AT LEAST

as many people this time around!

Please attend, send your story to committee members, contact Barb

Yavorcik with denial stories, tell a friend, post a flyer at work,

etc. Let's keep the momentum going!

I have attached 2 document containing contact information for The

Coalition for Autism Research and Education 110th Congress members as

well as for the House Insurance Committee members. If you cannot

attend - please SEND YOUR STORY to these committee members. (see

below). Let's keep the momentum going!!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Jessie Beauvais

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: BYavorcik@... [mailto:BYavorcik@...]

Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 8:27 AM

undisclosed-recipients

Subject: ACTION ALERT: Autism Insurance Parity - Please Respond ASAP

Dear Autism Insurance Parity Advocate:

We have just received word that the House Insurance Committee will be

holding another hearing on Autism Insurance Parity on Tuesday,

December 4, 2007 at 2:30pm at the Statehouse Room 121.

With apologies for the short notice - we need your help! We need

parents that are privately insured with an employer sponsored or

group plan that are willing to testify. If you are unable to come to

Columbus to testify, would you be willing to write testimony that

could be read by someone else? We would like 2-4 parents to testify.

Attached are copies of the testimony given by parent Tamara Heydt and

ASO President and parent Barb Yavorcik at the last hearing. Your

testimony should share your story of problems receiving coverage for

autism treatments and reinforce the points made by Tamara and Barb.

Please reply to this email and let me know ASAP if you are able to

testify or you are willing to write testimony for another parent to

read. Please contact me at byavorcik@... if you have any

questions.

If you are unable to testify, you can still come to the hearing to

support those that are.

Thank you for working with us to pass autism insurance parity!

Sincerely,

Barb C. Yavorcik

Co-President

Autism Society of Ohio

byavorcik@...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOUSE INSURANCE COMMITTEE members

REPRESENTATIVE

G. Batchelder ®

District 69

Address:

77 S. High St

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-8140

Fax : (614) 719-3969

Email Address: district69@...

Jay Hottinger ®

District 71 – Newark

Address:

77 S. High St

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1482

Fax : (614) 719-3971

Email Address: district71@...

®

District 78 – Sidney

Address:

77 S. High St

12th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1507

Fax : (614) 719-3978

Email Address: district78@...

Bill Coley ®

District 55 – Liberty Township

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-8550

Fax : (614) 719-6955

Email Address: district55@...

T. s ®

District 86 – Greenfield

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-3506

Fax : (614) 719-6986

Email Address: district86@...

Bob Gibbs ®

District 97 – Lakeville

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-2994

Fax : (614) 719-6997

Email Address: district97@...

Ross McGregor ®

District 72 – Springfield

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-2038

Fax : (614) 719-3972

Email Address: district72@...

T. Raussen ®

District 28 – Springdale

Address:

77 S. High St

13th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-8120

Fax : (614) 719-3582

Email Address: district28@...

Lynn R. Wachtmann ®

District 75 – Napoleon

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-3760

Fax : (614) 719-3975

Email Address: district75@...

Widener ®

District 84 – Springfield

Address:

77 S. High St

12th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1470

Fax : (614) 719-6984

Email Address: district84@...

J. Zehringer ®

District 77 -

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-6344

Fax : (614) 719-3977

Email Address: district77@...

ph Koziura (D)

District 56 – Lorain

Address:

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-5141

Fax : (614) 719-3956

Email Address: district56@...

H. Barrett (D)

District 58 – Amherst

Address:

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-9628

Fax : (614) 719-3958

Email Address: district58@...

T. Todd Book (D)

District 89 – McDermott

Assistant Minority Leader

Address:

77 S. High St

14th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-2124

Fax : (614) 719-6989

Email Address: district89@...

Ted Celeste (D)

District 24 – Grandview Heights

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 644-6005

Fax : (614) 719-6963

Email Address: district24@...

DeBose (D)

District 12 – Cleveland

Address:

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1408

Fax : (614) 719-3912

Email Address: district12@...

L. Driehaus (D)

District 31 – Cincinnati

Minority Whip

Address:

77 S. High St

14th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-5786

Fax : (614) 719-3585

Email Address: district31@...

Dyer (D)

District 43 – Green

Address:

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1790

Fax : (614) 719-6943

Email Address: district43@...

Lorraine M. Fende (D)

District 62 – Willowick

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-7251

Fax : (614) 719-3962

Email Address: district62@...

Tom Letson (D)

District 64 – Warren

Address:

77 S. High St

11th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-5358

Fax : (614) 719-3964

Email Address: district64@...

Clayton Luckie (D)

District 39 – Dayton

Address:

77 S. High St

10th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Telephone: (614) 466-1607

Fax : (614) 719-6967

Email Address: district39@...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTISM CAUCUS

Coalition for Autism Research and Education 110th Congress –

Ohio members

Marcy Kaptur

Ohio Office

One Maritime Plaza

Sixth Floor

Toledo, Ohio 43604

(800)964-4699

Tel: (419) 259-7500

Fax: (419) 255-9623

Washington Office

2186 Rayburn Bldg.

Washington, DC 20515

Tel: (202) 225-4146

Fax: (202) 225-7711

Steve LaTourette

Washington DC Office

2371 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

(202) 225-5731 phone

(202 225-3307 fax

Painesville District Office

1 Place, Room 320

Painesville, Ohio 44077

(440) 352-3939 phone

(800) 447-0529 toll-free

(440) 352-3622 fax

Twinsburg District Office

Twinsburg Government Center

10075 Ravenna Road

Twinsburg, Ohio 44087

(330) 425-9291 phone

(330) 425-7071 fax

Tiberi

***Please remember all time sensitive matters, should be addressed by

calling 614-523-2555***

D.C.office

113 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC

20515

Phone: (202) 225-5355

Fax: (202) 226-4523

District Office:

3000 Corporate Exchange Dr.

Suite 310

Columbus, Ohio 43231

Phone: (614) 523-2555

Fax: (614) 818-0887

Tubbs-

District Office

Washington Office

3645 Warrensville Center Road, Suite 204

Shaker Heights, OH 44122

Telephone: (216) 522-4900

Facsimile: (216) 522-4908

1009 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-7032

Facsimile: (202) 225-1339

Sherrod Brown

Campaign Headquarters

2280 Kresge Drive

Amherst, OH 44001

Phone: 1-800-587-4180 or 440-282-3314

Cuyahoga County Field Office

13434 Cedar Rd.

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

(216) 320-9380

lin County Field Office

203 E. Broad Street

Columbus, OH

(614) 223-1789

Washington County Field Office

112 Putnam Street

Marietta, OH 45750

(740) 376-7231