In Cartersville, The Daily Tribune News reports on arguments for a mandate bill for Georgia:
Megan Andrade, an autism activist who has worked to get Ava’s Law into the Legislature, said now was the time to pass the bill.
“Thirty-two other states have passed insurance reform and we have a lot of kids here in Georgia that are not getting insurance coverage for treatment that they need, and a lot of my friends have children and we’re all always talking about what grant we can apply for or how we can get money, and there just isn’t any,” she said.
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If the bill passes, Andrade believed the state would see a number of benefits. She thought it would lower Georgia’s long-term expenses, as autistic adults who go through therapy would require less state assistance and be more independent.
She also believed the bill could help create jobs.
“It’ll bring jobs to Georgia, for one thing, because the fact that insurance companies do not cover most of these treatments means that clinics and providers don’t come to Georgia because they know people can’t afford it,” she said.
Andrade said the estimated cost to a Georgia resident’s monthly insurance premiums would be approximately 32 cents. She said the number was based on cost analysis done in other states that have passed similar laws.
For more information on how to get involved with the push for autism insurance legislation, visit www.georgiaautismbill.com.
