Today Governor Jay Nixon signed a $2.4 billion mental health appropriations bill in Springfield. The governor's signature made it law at the Burrell Autism Center. Only a fraction of the it will fund autism but he wanted to highlight his commitment to families with autism. House Bill 2010 will provide more than $10 million for autism programs and projects. There are still a lot of questions about what causes autism but if caught early therapy can help a lot. In Missouri more than 2,500 families are affected by autism. People sometimes can't get treatment because it costs so much. The funding will remain at 2012 levels for each individual but an additional 375 kids will be helped. The bill will go into effect on July 1. In 2010 Governor Nixon signed a law that requires insurance companies to provide coverage for autistic kids in Missouri until they're 18.See here for 2010 blog post on the enactment of the mandate
Friday, June 22, 2012
Autism Funding in Missouri
KOLR in Springfield, Missouri, reports:
