Among states that mandate coverage for ABA and related therapies, at least seven set the annual coverage cap at $36,000, according to a survey of state laws by Autism Speaks. At least three have no cap.
And the financial drain autism places on families is so dire that those in states that don't mandate coverage often move to states that do.
Because West Virginia, like its namesake neighbor, doesn't mandate coverage, Scott Finn and his wife, Wendy Radcliff, moved from Charleston, W.Va., last fall to Florida, which mandates up to $36,000 annually in benefits for ABA and related treatments.
"The science is in, and there is a small window of opportunity to help your child and teach them how to think," Radcliff said of the family's decision to relocate near Tampa, Fla., for the sake of their 4-year-old autistic son, Maxwell Finn.
Monday, February 1, 2010
State Mandates and Interstate Effects
Virginia legislators are considering an autism insurance mandate. A background article on the legislation suggests one of the side effects of interstate differences in such laws:
