Janelle Patterson reports at The Marietta Times
On Wednesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law a new requirement for health insurance plans in Ohio. Services and treatments of autism spectrum disorders must now be covered.
“There’s just no other way to pay for it but hospitals are recommending these services,” said Susan Tilton, superintendent of the Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities. “The main expense is the people who go into a child’s home and teach skills and coping mechanisms. But that cost is upwards of $60,000.”
Tilton said oftentimes parents haven’t been able to get even basic medical coverage for their children on the spectrum.
“It’s been discrimination against them,” she said. “But the numbers of kids on the spectrum are growing and the fact is if this is caught early they have a better chance at leading much more independent lives.”
