Raleigh – A bill has recently been approved by the state Senate that will help to insure that health insurance plans, that are regulated by the state, cover autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated therapy, adaptive behavior treatment.
Unfortunately insurers will be allowed to cap the amount they pay for adaptive behavior treatment at $40,000 a year. Treatment will also be limited to those individuals who are under 18 years of age.
Sen. Tom Apodaca, who sponsored the bill, told:
“We’ve come through with a bill that is about as good as we can get for the folks in North Carolina that have to deal with autism,”
The Associated Press report that Autism Speaks are asking for the House to make improvements.
The two senators who sponsored the bill, Tom Apodaca and Joyce Krawiecz told that parents will now have more options open to them that will, “make a lasting difference in the lives of children who otherwise might not have access to this treatment.”
Source: Mark Barrett on the Citizen-Times website: Apodaca’s autism insurance bill clears Senate