Fortunately, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says an insurance mandate is one of his top priorities for this year’s legislative session. The idea has bipartisan support. “While I normally oppose mandates, I, like many Republicans, support this requirement,” said Rep. Jeff Grisamore of Lee’s Summit, who is co-sponsoring a bill in the House. “It is the right thing to do for children and families affected by autism and the cost-effective thing for the state.” Advocates must make sure the legislation isn’t damaged by unrealistic caps and exemptions as it makes its way through the legislature. Prospects in Kansas are less clear, despite a two-year push by families and advocates. Legislation stalled in committee last year, with key lawmakers voicing concerns that a mandate would significantly hike insurance premiums overall. That hasn’t happened elsewhere, however. The earliest states to pass insurance mandates have found that premium increases amounted to less than $1 a month.
In New York, a state senator with two grandsons on the spectrum is building bipartisan support for a mandate:
Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, Saturday said he will push hard for legislation now in the Senate requiring private insurers to cover the costs of autism and therapy.
McDonald is the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Autism and Disabilities. He is also the force behind a number of autism forums being held across the state. One held Saturday in the Gowana Middle School auditorium on the Shenendehowa school campus drew nearly 100 people including local elected officials, educators and families.
Many in the audience had a direct connection to someone living with autism. They used the forum’s question and answer period to describe the daily hardships they overcome providing care and support for their loved ones.
McDonald has held similar forums on the topic in Staten Island, Poughkeepsie and Utica. He plans to hold more on Long Island and in New York City. The senator from Saratoga County clearly understood the personal stories of the difficulties families face in getting insurance and providing care for those with the condition. McDonald is the grandfather of two young children diagnosed with autism.
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Saturday’s forum included a panel of five autism professionals who explained the varying levels of autistic behavior and how and where families may find assistance. A second panel of four politicians included McDonald along with U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy (D-Glens Falls), Assemblyman George Amedore (R-Rotterdam), and Assemblyman Bob Reilly (D-Loudonville).
