Autism Legislative News In Brief 8.10.09

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Legislative News In Brief

August 10, 2009

Vol. IX, Issue 34

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Autism in Health Care

On July 31, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed Representative Mike Doyle's (D-PA) autism insurance reform amendment to the “America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” H.R. 3200, prohibiting discrimination in benefits against persons with autism. During the July 20 markup of H.R. 3200, Rep. Doyle succeeded in passing an amendment to provide supplemental grants for interdisciplinary training of professionals, to develop model demonstrations in services, and provide technical assistance in autism spectrum disorders and other related developmental disabilities. The Senate HELP and Finance Committee bills do not have similar language. AUCD will work to ensure that this language remains in any final health care reform bill that becomes law.

Senate Appropriations Hearing on Autism

AUCD staff attended a hearing sponsored by Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on August 5 titled “Autism Research, Treatments and Interventions”. The lead witness was Dr. Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at NIH and chair of the IACC. The second panel included representatives from local Autism advocacy organizations from Iowa, North Carolina and Mississippi as well as the President of the Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities. Issues that were brought up during the hearing included: vaccines and the number of vaccines given before age two and their relation to autism; importance of early intervention and evidence based interventions especially behavioral approaches; availability of interventions and the need for insurance coverage to pay for them; need for additional resources for services; need for insurance coverage; and need to focus on transitional youth who are becoming adults especially for post secondary options. The full list of panelists and their testimony as well as webcast of the hearing is available on the committee website.

For copies of this and previous issues of Legislative News In Brief please visit the Public Policy Page of the AUCD website: http://www.aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id=164

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