RE: Re: Action Alert for autism insurance!!!

[Guest guest]

The window theory is a bunch of crap. My 12 year old son is picking up

more verbal language all the time. And until we gave him a letter board

and started going to HALO he had no expressive speech for thoughts and

ideas do not let your child continue to flounder in a ABA program trying

to achieve expressive speech without at least trying the RPM method

regardless of how old they are. Communication is about more than verbal

speech. Trina

>

> Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

> teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

> The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

> if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

> never learn basic communication skills to survive.

>

> My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

> to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

> stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

> gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

> talking about when we say an age limit.

>

>

> >

> > Please forward this far and wide:

> >

> > Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> > don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> > the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> > done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> > to do.

> >

> > I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> > spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

> >

> > Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> > stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> > give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> > You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> > insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> > there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> > so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> > to comment for our position as consumers.

> >

> > MEETING PURPOSE

> > To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> > that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> > better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> > still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> > or e-mailed.

> >

> > TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> > what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> > that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> > able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

> session.

> > (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> > range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

> >

> > As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

> two

> > opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

> language.

> >

> > TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> > for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

> timeframe.

> > We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> > can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> > and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> > a 30-day comment period during

> > which we will accept written comments.

> >

> > There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> > of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> > After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> > Register and on the TDI website.

> >

> > By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> > e-mai.

> >

> > SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> > and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> > like:

> > **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> > for an illness are covered under the mandate

> >

> > **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

> >

> > **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> > claim that it is experimental

> >

> > **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> > of ABA

> >

> > like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> > of care for ABA

> >

> > like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> > the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> > medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

> >

> > **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> > can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> > that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> > to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> > younger children.

> >

> > **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

> >

> > Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> > the basis for your letter.

> >

> > Written comment can be sent in to:

> > Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> > or

> > faxed to her attention at

> > or

> > mailed to her at

> > Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> > P.O. Box 149104

> > Austin, TX 78714-9104

> >

> > Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> > Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> > paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> > starts.

> >

> > ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> > been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> > August, and after maintaining for months there would

> > be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> > Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> > Dec 17.

> >

> > S.

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just another thought, if the need is there, then I think the age limit should be

raised to include the older children. Older children also can imrpove

communication skills.

Cookie wrote: Another point: We should not rely

on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

[Guest guest]

Well, if they choose age 10, that shuts out my son. He's 11, and needs it as

much as a 4 year old. Why not let these children get help until age 18 or 21

when they are moving out of the school system. For what it is worth, we have had

our son in private school because my son needed more than a lifeskills

classroom and speech therapy for 20 minutes a month and o/t 30 minutes every

other month to thrive.

Getting a common feeling on a cut off age may make some happy, but not all

will get for their kids what they need, deserve and have a right to. When those

of you who have 5 year olds now are in our shoes with older kids still needing

help and not getting it, you will know how it feels. I pray to G-d that you

don't have to know what that feels like, but some of us have older children who

have never had any services approved through insurance and yes, we write to our

politicians... Just my 2 cents.

Cookie wrote:

Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

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

Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.

[Guest guest]

Hi – just wanted to make sure I undertand the purpose of this

meeting. It’s really just to clarify some of the points of the bill, right?

Like others here, I’d like to see the age limitation removed, but that seems

like a point we need to address through the legislative process, correct?

As far as other points of clarification on the bill, I agree we need to

specify that providers of ABA should be certified (or “grandfathered”)

through the BACB and that psychologists who are not BACB certified should

not be approved ABA providers.

I think there should also be clarification on the wording when a child turns

6. Here’s how it’s worded: “If an enrollee who is being treated for

autism spectrum disorder becomes six years of age or older and continues to

need treatment, this subsection does not preclude coverage of treatment and

services described by Subsection.” To me, that means insurers are not

prohibited from covering ABA just because a child turns 6. But it does NOT

say that insurers need to continue covering ABA once a child turns 6.

Geraldine

_____

From: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

[mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy ] On Behalf Of fran katz

Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 8:59 AM

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

Subject: Re: Re: Action Alert for autism

insurance!!!

Well, if they choose age 10, that shuts out my son. He's 11, and needs it as

much as a 4 year old. Why not let these children get help until age 18 or 21

when they are moving out of the school system. For what it is worth, we have

had our son in private school because my son needed more than a lifeskills

classroom and speech therapy for 20 minutes a month and o/t 30 minutes every

other month to thrive.

Getting a common feeling on a cut off age may make some happy, but not all

will get for their kids what they need, deserve and have a right to. When

those of you who have 5 year olds now are in our shoes with older kids still

needing help and not getting it, you will know how it feels. I pray to G-d

that you don't have to know what that feels like, but some of us have older

children who have never had any services approved through insurance and yes,

we write to our politicians... Just my 2 cents.

Cookie <mmmckinnhotmail (DOT) <mailto:mmmckinn%40hotmail.com> com> wrote:

Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

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

Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.

[Guest guest]

Hi – just wanted to make sure I undertand the purpose of this

meeting. It’s really just to clarify some of the points of the bill,

right?

[ Singleton]

No and yes. It's to get input from stakeholders as to what regulations

are needed. Regulations serve the purpose of clarifying the law in points

where it is vague. This meeting is the first of the PROCESS of generating

the rule. As you may remember from commenting on the recent changes in the

Special Ed regulations that just were posted, making changes to regulations

that have already been written is much more limited than commenting on the

areas that the regulations that have not already been written.

Like others here, I’d like to see the age limitation removed, but that

seems

like a point we need to address through the legislative process, correct?

[ Singleton] Yes. However, I see value in people mentioning it now

even though they understand that TDI can't do anything about it right now.

The more something is brought up, the more other people will begin to come

around to that point of view. So during the next legislative session, it

could be a big point in favor if TDI can testify that they received numerous

comments from stakeholders supporting the expansion of the age range.

I think there should also be clarification on the wording when a child

turns

6. Here’s how it’s worded: “If an enrollee who is being treated for

autism spectrum disorder becomes six years of age or older and continues

to

need treatment, this subsection does not preclude coverage of treatment

and

services described by Subsection.” To me, that means insurers are not

prohibited from covering ABA just because a child turns 6. But it does NOT

say that insurers need to continue covering ABA once a child turns 6.

[ Singleton] This is a perfect example of the kinds of points that

need to be raised by an input letter. However I would state that it means

insurers have no legal basis to stop reimbursement (for ANYTHING--speech,

ABA, etc.) merely on the basis of the child turning 6. If the doctor's plan

of care stipulates that a child continues to have a medical need for

therapy, and the child turns 6, the insurance company has no legal basis to

stop reimbursements.

[ Singleton] There are a lot of areas like this--espcially in the

area of ABA. I am certain that TxABA will develop a statement on areas that

related to the practice of ABA--of course if you have personal experience in

this area, it wouldn't hurt to put that into your letter.

S.

_____

.

[Guest guest]

Absolutely. Not providing therapy because of age is pure d

iscrimination-- but try getting that through the legislature.

This is an election year people--are YOU asking hard questions of

YOUR legislator about supporting this???? A lot of legislators in

the Houston area didn't. Sen. Tommy , Sen. Mike

, Rep. Corbin Van

Arsdale, Rep. Fred Brown, Rep. Creighton, Rep. Rob

Eissler, Rep. Elkins, Rep. Harless, Rep. Charlie

, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Rep. Debbie Riddle, Rep. Wayne

, Rept Talton, and Rep. Beverly Woolley all are

local legislators who voted AGAINST the very limited bill.

Actually Beverly Woolley was very happy to let the original

version of the bill die in the Calendar committee--only by

200 of her constituents calling did she allow it to be released.

People need to ask " would you support an amendment to

expand the mandated age of coverage for children with autism? "

of any state candidate who wants your vote.

If we're not doing the job of sending people to Austin who

represent our best interests, then we can't complain about

not being able to get bills that support our families passed.

S.

Re: Action Alert for autism insurance!!!

Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

[Guest guest]

Debbie Riddle = worthless as a representative. talk about a form letter sender.

ugggh!

Chatmom wrote: Absolutely. Not providing

therapy because of age is pure d

iscrimination-- but try getting that through the legislature.

This is an election year people--are YOU asking hard questions of

YOUR legislator about supporting this???? A lot of legislators in

the Houston area didn't. Sen. Tommy , Sen. Mike

, Rep. Corbin Van

Arsdale, Rep. Fred Brown, Rep. Creighton, Rep. Rob

Eissler, Rep. Elkins, Rep. Harless, Rep. Charlie

, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Rep. Debbie Riddle, Rep. Wayne

, Rept Talton, and Rep. Beverly Woolley all are

local legislators who voted AGAINST the very limited bill.

Actually Beverly Woolley was very happy to let the original

version of the bill die in the Calendar committee--only by

200 of her constituents calling did she allow it to be released.

People need to ask " would you support an amendment to

expand the mandated age of coverage for children with autism? "

of any state candidate who wants your vote.

If we're not doing the job of sending people to Austin who

represent our best interests, then we can't complain about

not being able to get bills that support our families passed.

S.

Re: Action Alert for autism insurance!!!

Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/30/2007 7:08:42 P.M. Central Standard Time,

amandajchapman@... writes:

Not that no one is capable of learning past the age of 21 (i've picked up a

few things in the past few years) but if I had to choose, I think 21 actually

makes better sense than 10 or 11 or 15.

You know this reminds me of something my son's teacher recently said to me,

she told me to keep working on 2nd/3rd grade level vocabulary words with him.

She said to use them all the time in everyday conversation so he could get

used to hearing them and then start using them. I'm not talking about spelling

words, I'm talking about vocabulary that we use everyday like, " determined,

orbited, specialist, applicant, time-consuming, pioneer, perform. " She said

it's important for kids to learn and use these words now because statistics

show that if kids don't learn these words by 3rd grade they won't have it in

their repertoire of words to draw from. When I was 8 years old I didn't use

this kind of vocabulary, in fact I didn't really start using words like these

in everyday conversation until I was in my 20's. So it bugs me when someone,

once again, suggests that if I don't do something now in my son's development,

a door will slam close and an opportunity will be lost.

CReece

**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest

products.

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

[Guest guest]

Please someone send me some literature/research indicating that there is an

age limit for teaching our children or providing therapy for them. I am so

sick and tired of the " window " talk, I want to scream. My son is learning

and communicating much better at age 9 than he ever was.

Also, I like to know what other diseases are covered by age criteria???

What do we keep selling our children so short?

Re: Action Alert for autism insurance!!!

> Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

> teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

> The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

> if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

> never learn basic communication skills to survive.

>

> My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

> to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

> stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

> gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

> talking about when we say an age limit.

>

>

>>

>> Please forward this far and wide:

>>

>> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

>> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

>> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

>> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

>> to do.

>>

>> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

>> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>>

>> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

>> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

>> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

>> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

>> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

>> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

>> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

>> to comment for our position as consumers.

>>

>> MEETING PURPOSE

>> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

>> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

>> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

>> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

>> or e-mailed.

>>

>> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

>> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

>> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

>> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

> session.

>> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

>> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>>

>> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

> two

>> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

> language.

>>

>> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

>> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

> timeframe.

>> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

>> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

>> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

>> a 30-day comment period during

>> which we will accept written comments.

>>

>> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

>> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

>> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

>> Register and on the TDI website.

>>

>> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

>> e-mai.

>>

>> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

>> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

>> like:

>> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

>> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>>

>> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>>

>> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

>> claim that it is experimental

>>

>> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

>> of ABA

>>

>> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

>> of care for ABA

>>

>> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

>> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

>> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>>

>> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

>> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

>> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

>> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

>> younger children.

>>

>> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>>

>> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

>> the basis for your letter.

>>

>> Written comment can be sent in to:

>> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

>> or

>> faxed to her attention at

>> or

>> mailed to her at

>> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

>> P.O. Box 149104

>> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>>

>> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

>> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

>> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

>> starts.

>>

>> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

>> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

>> August, and after maintaining for months there would

>> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

>> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

>> Dec 17.

>>

>> S.

>>

>

>

>

>

> Texas Autism Advocacy

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

>

> Texas Disability Network

> Calendar of Events

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

>

[Guest guest]

Not that no one is capable of learning past the age of 21 (i've picked up a

few things in the past few years) but if I had to choose, I think 21 actually

makes better sense than 10 or 11 or 15.

fran katz wrote:

Well, if they choose age 10, that shuts out my son. He's 11, and needs

it as much as a 4 year old. Why not let these children get help until age 18 or

21 when they are moving out of the school system. For what it is worth, we have

had our son in private school because my son needed more than a lifeskills

classroom and speech therapy for 20 minutes a month and o/t 30 minutes every

other month to thrive.

Getting a common feeling on a cut off age may make some happy, but not all will

get for their kids what they need, deserve and have a right to. When those of

you who have 5 year olds now are in our shoes with older kids still needing help

and not getting it, you will know how it feels. I pray to G-d that you don't

have to know what that feels like, but some of us have older children who have

never had any services approved through insurance and yes, we write to our

politicians... Just my 2 cents.

Cookie wrote:

Another point: We should not rely on mainstream public school to

teach these non-mainstream children their life communication skills.

The window of the brain's learning of communication is so short that

if they don't receive the medical interventions required, they may

never learn basic communication skills to survive.

My personal opinion: We should push to have these children entitled

to therapy until they are 10 years old, not 5. Again, for the reason

stated above. I think we should be unified on the age limit, so it

gets drilled into their legislative brain that we know what we are

talking about when we say an age limit.

>

> Please forward this far and wide:

>

> Send in your comments by DEC 17 (yes the timing stinks, but I

> don't set the schedule) to comment on the proposed rules for

> the autism insurance amendment in HB1919. (WHAT??? werent' we

> done with this???) Sorry folks there are YET a few things left

> to do.

>

> I'm a law. . . . .but I'm not finished until the regulations

> spelling out the details of implementing the law are written.

>

> Soooooooo. . . . Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is having a

> stakeholders meeting for EVERYone affected by the law to

> give their input to what the regulations should look like.

> You can bet your bottom dollar that the

> insurance lobby and Texas Association of Business will be

> there with bells on trying to skew the language of the bill

> so that it favors insurance companies. We parents need

> to comment for our position as consumers.

>

> MEETING PURPOSE

> To allow TDI staff to learn information about the benefits

> that are addressed in the bill so that they can write

> better rules and so TDI staff can understand what issues may

> still remain. By the way, written comments can be mailed,

> or e-mailed.

>

> TDI CANNOT change language in the bill, so there may be limits to

> what can be done by rule. If there is something about the bill

> that is not what you had expected or hoped for, TDI will not be

> able to change it. That will take a legislative change next

session.

> (but, I would encourage everyone to comment that the age

> range is too narrow anyway so that they can see what people think).

>

> As TDI goes through the rulemaking process, there will be at least

two

> opportunities for stakeholders to comment on the actual rule

language.

>

> TDI will first post an informal draft on our website and will ask

> for written comments to be submitted in about a two-week

timeframe.

> We will read those comments, make any requested changes that we

> can, and then formally propose the rules in the Texas Register

> and on our website. After publication in the Register, there is

> a 30-day comment period during

> which we will accept written comments.

>

> There will likely be a hearing before our Commissioner near the end

> of the 30-day period at which public comments will be heard.

> After that, we will adopt the rule and publish it in the Texas

> Register and on the TDI website.

>

> By the way, written comments can be mailed, faxed, or

> e-mai.

>

> SO. . . . . .NOW Is the time to write in . . . . . .

> and mention the areas that need to be clearly spelled out

> like:

> **autism is now defined as an illness and all benefits

> for an illness are covered under the mandate

>

> **speech is mandated whether it is restorative or not

>

> **the mandate for ABA overrides the insurance company's

> claim that it is experimental

>

> **BCBAs and BCABAs need to be spelled out as providers

> of ABA

>

> like providers FAMILIAR with ABA need to approve plans

> of care for ABA

>

> like if a child turns 6 after receiving benefits from

> the mandate, as long as the treatment is still deemed

> medically necessary, claims must continue to be paid

>

> **and even though you understand the rulemaking process

> can't address this now, you want to clearly state

> that the 3 to 5 age limit is too narrow and needs

> to be expanded on both ends to include older and

> younger children.

>

> **and I'm sure that y'all will think of additional ones.

>

> Use your own conversations with insurance companies as

> the basis for your letter.

>

> Written comment can be sent in to:

> Margaret Lazaretti [Margaret.Lazaretti@...]

> or

> faxed to her attention at

> or

> mailed to her at

> Hobby 1, Room 1350, MC 113-1A

> P.O. Box 149104

> Austin, TX 78714-9104

>

> Stay tuned for a model letter for those who need one.

> Please make a point to sit down and put at least one

> paragraph on this together before the Christmas rush

> starts.

>

> ly, I'm very annoyed with TDI because I have

> been asking them about when a meeting will be since

> August, and after maintaining for months there would

> be no meeting until 2008, they announced the Monday after

> Thanksgiving that the first stakeholders meeting is

> Dec 17.

>

> S.

>

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

Be a better pen pal. Text or chat with friends inside Yahoo! Mail. See how.

[Guest guest]

Not that no one is capable of learning past the age of 21 (i've picked up a

few things in the past few years) but if I had to choose, I think 21 actually

makes better sense than 10 or 11 or 15.

____________________________

I agree that an older cut off age is good, but I'd set it at 22 since our kids

are entitled to education until there 22. My boys with autism are both past that

age and my experience is that once high school starts there enphasis in more on

preparing them for life after high school. No matter where the age is set there

will be " short timers syndrome " when they get close to the cut off age, because

everyone feels like there isn't much that can be accomplished in " that " length

of time.

Sharon Lemons

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