The Politics of Autism includes an extensive discussion of insurance legislation in the states.
William Petroski reports at The Des Moines Register:
The Iowa Senate voted 48-0 Thursday to require many employer-provided health insurance policies to provide coverage for treatment of autism spectrum disorder for young people
House File 215 was sent to Gov. Terry Branstad for his consideration. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers praised the bill's final passage, saying it represents years of work by advocates for people with autism.
Sen. Bill Anderson, R-Pierson, the bill's floor manager, said the legislation will apply to employers of more than 50 full-time workers. It will require coverage of applied behavioral analysis for persons under age 19 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The bill provides maximum annual benefits, depending upon a person's age. Coverage can also be subject to deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance provisions.
