Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Urges General Assembly To Approve Autism Insurance Bill

June 27, 2007 -- HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today urged members of the General Assembly to stand up for thousands of young Pennsylvanians living with autism and their families who are forced to make difficult choices due to lack of insurance coverage.

“Pennsylvania has made great strides in our effort to ‘Cover All Kids’ with health insurance, but there is a large group of children for whom coverage is lacking due to a mistaken belief by insurance companies that autism is not a treatable medical condition,” Governor Rendell said. “Legislation pending in the House would require insurance companies to pay reasonable amounts to provide therapy and services for autism.

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“This issue is a priority for me, and I feel it should be a priority for the House and Senate. It makes sense from the standpoint of the state budget and as a matter of basic fairness. I urge the General Assembly to act on this measure before the summer recess,” Governor Rendell said.

Senate Bill 550, as amended in the House and waiting for final passage, would require private insurers to provide proven effective medical treatments that have been for people up to age 21, up to a maximum of $36,000 per year.

“By requiring private insurers to cover the medical services they should already be covering, we can make taxpayer dollars go further and help thousands of young people,” Governor Rendell said.

Governor Rendell noted that Pennsylvania is a national leader in its response to autism, beginning with Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman’s establishment of an Autism Task Force in 2003 and the creation this year of the nation’s only Bureau of Autism Services. More information about the bureau may be found at www.dpw.state.pa.us/Disable/AutismServices/AutismInitiatives.

Source: Pennsylvania Governor