This seems like a no-brainer. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, insurance (minus deductibles, etc.) covers radiation treatment. When someone is injured and needs physical therapy, insurance covers it. When someone is diagnosed with autism, why is treatment not universally eligible for coverage? According to a recent article featured in the Medford Mail Tribune, thirteen states have currently enacted an insurance mandate for coverage of autism treatment. Thirteen. Out of fifty. How lousy is that? 

We shouldn’t have to fight for this. We shouldn’t have to put on our advocate hats and write to our state representatives and lobby for something that should already be covered. We’re not talking about cosmetic surgery. We’re talking about treatments and therapy that will improve our children’s health and their ability to function.  How the proven benefits of autism treatments come into question by insurance companies is beyond my comprehension.

But even though we all know this issue to be a no-brainer, we will write to our representatives, we will fight for this. Because that’s how things get done, that’s how our children’s needs get met. That’s what we do with the school district and how we raise awareness within our community. We need universal insurance coverage for autism treatments and therapies. Since this is accomplished on an individual state basis, contact your representatives by going to http://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/. Let them know you support insurance coverage for autism treatment and therapy and urge them to do the same. 

I plan on telling my representatives about what a difference these treatments have made in my son’s life, and that every parent of an autistic child deserves the opportunity to improve their child’s health, whether they are able to pay for it or not. After all, that’s what insurance is for.