State lawmakers passed legislation this week that would require insurers to cover autism-related screenings, diagnoses and treatments. The move was a relief for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, but was sure to increase insurance premiums across the board.
The State Assembly passed the measure Monday night, a few weeks after it passed in the Senate. The measure passed unanimously in both houses.
It now goes to Gov. David A. Paterson. New York would become the 22nd state in which insurers are required to cover autism-related treatments.
Autism Speaks applauded. But The Age of Autism warned that "treatment for autism will have to meet an unprecedented new standard that is much higher than used for treatments of any other disorder under New York law, or the law of any other state or the federal government."
