Virginia Beach,VA – Proposed changes to military healthcare system TRICARE going into effect October 20, has both parents and those who provide for children on the spectrum upset. Both claim that the changes will make the world renowned autism therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA) cost more and be provided less.
Suzanna Myers, who has a 12-year-old son on the spectrum, talked with On Your Side 10 and had this to say:
“In light of what’s going on with the VA, this is just kind of another example of why we really need to support our military community.”
Her son Pen was aged two when the Myers family realized his speaking abilities were decreasing. With support from her husband and other children, Myers has done everything she can to help her son, including going back to college to study special education and ABA, a therapy she notes did wonders.
“We can’t limit ABA to just two years, which is what TRICARE is now proposing to do, to put a two-year cap on services, because these kids face numerous challenges,”
Department of Defense Health Care Agency officials released a statement to the WAVY news outlet stating:
“The TRICARE benefit provides the most robust ABA therapy coverage available, with no annual cap, no lifetime cap, and no maximum age.”
Yet parents and providers think this is bound to change near the end of the month. They have also created a petition against the changes at change.org.
The original article by