Raleigh, North-Carolina – Thom Tillis, the state’s House Speaker who unsuccessfully attempted to pass a bill intended to increase the amount of autism therapy coverage that insurance companies are required to provide, is still being lauded for his efforts by a local non-profit group.
Tillis was instrumental in pushing for legislation that would have provided better autism treatment coverage for families with children on the spectrum, however it was not passed in the State Senate. He is now a Republican candidate running for a seat in the Senate and is receiving the support of Carolina Rising, a non-profit organization.
The group is permitted to run campaign-style commercials and advertisements in support of any electoral candidate and are planning to spend almost $2 million dollars to air ads over the next week.
The organization has chosen to emphasize Tillis’ efforts to pass the bill and will air ads that feature a family’s story about the challenges they faced when trying to secure insurance coverage for their autistic son’s treatment. However the group makes no mention of the fact that Tillis was ultimately unable to do so.
Carolina Rising’s president, defends his group’s decision to run the ads, arguing that Tillis should still be recognized for his stance on the issue, regardless of the outcome.
The original article by Mark Binker on the WRAL.com website can be read here