AutismCrisis.org

New CDC Report States Autism Now at 1 in 110 Children, 1 in 70 Boys. Insurance Companies Continue to Deny Treatment.

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:02:32 -0800

A new CDC report released on December 18 shows a continued increase in autism, which now affects 1 in 110 U.S. children and 1 in 70 boys.

Yet in most states, health insurance companies are free to discriminate against children with autism and deny coverage for effective treatments, such as ABA therapy.

While some state legislators have taken a leadership role in mandating insurance coverage for autism treatment in their states, the U.S. Congress and the White House have been silent on including similar mandates within the current health care reform legislation.

You can follow the progress (or lack of progress) on U.S. health care reform at PoorMansLobbyist.org.

CNN: Early Autism Intervention in Toddlers is Effective

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:50:25 -0800

As many parents of children with autism already know, early autism intervention, such as ABA therapy, can be very effective and "lead to raised IQ levels and improved language skills and behavior," according to a study referenced by CNN in a Nov. 30 story.

Unfortunately, in most states, it is still legal for self-insured employers and health insurance companies to deny this important treatment.

Read CNN's article for more information on this study (click the feed link for the link to this article).

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Advocates for Autism Coverage in Senate Speech

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:34:30 -0800

On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Senate debated whether or not to allow its healthcare reform bill to come to the floor for debate and amendments, versus no action being taken (PoorMansLobbyist.org has more details on this story).

During a passionate speech about the need for healthcare reform, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) specifically called out the need for coverage of prescribed autism therapies, such as ABA therapy. Autism treatment advocates may recall that Senator Menendez also advocated for autism coverage during committee hearings.

AutismCrisis.org thanks Senator Menendez for his continued advocacy related to autism coverage and healthcare reform, and we hope that more of his colleagues will join him in addressing the current autism epidemic.

H.R. 2413: The Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 picks up Rep. Cassidy (R-LA), Crowley (D-NY), Kildee (D-MI), and Ortiz (D-TX) as New Cosponsors

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:34:55 -0800

The Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009, sponsored by Rep. Michael Doyle (D-PA), has picked up four new cosponsors: Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Dale Kildee (D-MI), and Solomon Ortiz (D-TX).

The complete list of cosponsors is available by clicking the link for this feed story.

Autism treatment is a bipartisan issue; is your Congressman listed as a cosponsor? If not, please call his or her office, and ask him or her to become a cosponsor of HR 2413. Please tell your Congressman that your vote in 2010 will go to someone who cares about the autism epidemic and is actually doing something about it.

AutismCrisis.org applauds and thanks Rep. Doyle and all of the cosponsors for their support.

AutismCrisis.org Now on Facebook

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:10:37 -0800

AutismCrisis.org is now on Facebook! Please come visit the page, and click "Become a Fan" to help spread the word.

New Hampshire Fighting for Autism Healthcare

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:36:14 -0800

While many legislators across the country have caved to the pressures of the health insurance lobbyists, a New Hampshire House committee has passed a bill requiring coverage of behavioral treatment for autism.

Voters in Massachusetts can read the article in the Concord Monitor to find out which elected officials voted to help the children with autism, and which legislators sided with the insurance industry to continue denying coverage of the prescribed medical care.

Click the feed link to access the links to these articles.

Massachusetts Advocates for Children Addresses Bullying of Children with Autism

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:12:39 -0800

The Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC) is advocating legislation to address bullying of children with autism.

The bill, H. 3804: An Act Addressing Bullying of Children with ASD, "helps ensure that supports and services are provided, as appropriate, to address the needs of the individual child with ASD to avoid and respond to bullying through the IEP process," according to MAC's web site.

More information is available on MAC's "Autism Project" web site.
Click the feed link to access the links to these articles.

The Boston Herald Reports 90% of Children with Autism Bullied

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:11:25 -0800

The Boston Herald is reporting that 90% of children with autism are bullied, according to a study by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

This news comes shortly after a 17 year old boy with autism in Georgia committed suicide, due to ongoing bullying at school.

Click the feed link to access the links to these articles.

17 year old Student with Asperger Syndrome Commits Suicide After School Allegedly Fails to Address Repeated Bullying

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:24 -0800

Parents of a 17 year old child in Georgia say they repeatedly requested that their son's school address continued bullying of their son. Despite the son's diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, the school allegedly was apathetic to their concerns, which resulted in a tragic ending.

As health insurance companies lobby for medical care of children with autism and Asperger Syndrome to be performed by schools, not health professionals, it appears that some schools may not even be properly trained to deal with the basic social requirements of children with disabilities and/or special needs.

The school's statement that they did not want to "glorify" the student by offering a moment of silence at the school shows just how large the potential disconnect is with the school understanding autism and Asperger Syndrome.

WRCB TV in Georgia has additional details on this tragedy (click the feed link for the link to this story).

While the school was not willing to offer a moment of silence for this victim, AutismCrisis.org hereby offers a moment of silence for every child that has ever been bullied as a result of a disability or disorder.

Health Insurance Industry Continues to Fight Autism Treatment

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:01 -0800

The health insurance industry and its lobbyists are again arguing that schools, not medical professionals, are best equipped to treat individuals with autism.

Never mind that neurologists and pediatricians disagree and specifically prescribe private speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA therapy. If it's a treatment that costs money, the health insurance industry wants the school districts (and the taxpayers) to pick up the bill, not the health insurance company shareholders.

The latest example is in Massachusetts, and The Cape Cod Times covers the story (click feed link to get the link to this article). Also see this example in Virginia (click feed link to get the link to this article), where a health insurance lobbyist writes an editorial in support of this position.

AutismCrisis.org owner PoorMansLobbyist.org also has a blog post on this topic (click feed link to get the link to this article).

Kaiser Permanente Denies Autism Treatment; Los Angeles County Judge Sides with Autistic Child

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:53:10 -0700

In order to get insurance companies to cover autism, one may have to sue. That's exactly what one family in California did, and the judge has sided on the side of the family. Read the full story in the Oct. 27 Los Angeles Times.

Wisconsin Governor Doyle Stands Up to Insurance Companies and Demands Coverage of Autism Treatment

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:53:35 -0700

On Oct. 19, Governor Doyle announced an emergency rule that will require insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders. WKOW TV in Madison is covering the story.

Google Friend Connect now live at AutismCrisis.org

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:37:36 -0700

PoorMansLobbyist.org is now featuring Google Friend Connect for commenting and sharing your thoughts on our news stories. Check it out by clicking Comments under any news story.

The Virginia Association of Health Plans Fights Against Healthcare for Autism

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:37:00 -0700

An editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch makes the case that schools should own the healthcare for developmentally disabled individuals, such as children with autism. Read the editorial at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and view our response at blog.poormanslobbyist.org.

Kansas Politicians May Have Been Paid Off by Insurance Industry to Block Vote on Autism Coverage

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:35:00 -0700

The Kansas City Star has uncovered apparent conflict of interest amongst the state's political leaders who refused to bring popular autism healthcare legislation for a vote. These same politicians then accepted financial donations from the very companies that would have been impacted by the legislation, creating the a perception of conflict of interest. Read the story at KansasCity.com

Mobile Version of AutismCrisis.org

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:22:14 -0700

A new mobile version of the website is available now at http://m.autismcrisis.org.

Virginia Dad of Autistic Son Speaks Out Against State Delegates Who Opposed Autism Coverage

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:58:00 -0700

While several states have passed legislation mandating critical autism-related healthcare coverage, such as ABA therapy, other states have sided with the health insurance industry and its lobbyists. Virginia is a recent example, and a disappointed dad is speaking out. View his letter to the editor at InsideNOVA.com.

Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism advocates for health insurance coverage

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Former pro football player Doug Flutie makes the case for health insurance coverage of autism treatment in an editorial in The Boston Globe.

H.R. 3703 - White House Conference on Autism Act of 2009

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:09:56 -0700

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) has introduced legislation requiring The White House to convene a conference on autism by the end of 2010. We'll provide updates as this legislation progresses.. The legislation was just recently introduced to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R. 3069 - Comprehensive Comparative Study on Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2009

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:09:41 -0700

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) has introduced legislation requiring a study of vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations, in order to determine whether vaccines or vaccine components play a role in the development of autism spectrum or other neurological conditions. The legislation is currently waiting in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. We will provide updates after we finish reviewing the proposed legislation.

H.R. 2413 - Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Rep. Michael Doyle (D-PA) has introduced comprehensive legislation focused on treating children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. The legislation is currently referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. We will provide updates after we finish reviewing the proposed legislation.

Announcing AutismCrisis.org

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Nonprofit startup PoorMansLobbyist.org is launching AutismCrisis.org, which focuses on political and legislative issues related to autism spectrum disorder. Find out which Congressmen and Senators are tackling autism, which ones are doing nothing, and which ones are obstacles to progress. Please check back frequently, as we are in the process of developing initial content. Please also visit PoorMansLobbyist.org to help us turn the current lobbying paradigm upside down, so that individuals, not industry checkbooks, can again drive legislative priorities.