ASO Action Alert - Autism Insurance Parity

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of ASO:

Rep. Jon and Rep. Ted Celeste have introduced HB 170 to "amend and to enact sections of the Revised Code to prohibit health insurers from excluding coverage for autism". A summarized write up on the legislation follows my signature. Complete details on the legislation can be found by going to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/search.cfm and doing a search on HB170 in the "House" of the "127th General Assembly".

The Autism Society of Ohio and the Ohio Autism Coalition (a coalition of autism advocacy groups in the state) support this legislation. The Autism Society of Ohio Public Policy Committee is organizing efforts to pass HB170. In order to more effectively advocate for this legislation, we need your help! We will be developing a database of Ohio residents that could assist us.

If you are willing and/or able to:

provide a story related to autism services from your heath insurance company

provide a letter of denial from your insurance company

provide a copy of your health insurance policy that contains language specifically excluding autism

testify in Columbus at committee hearings

write letters to legislators

come to the statehouse to support others testifying or for rallies

meet with legislators, either in Columbus or your local area

we need your help!

Please provide the following information via email: Name, address, city, zip+4, phone, email address, state representative and state senator. Not sure of your zip+4 - visit www.usps.gov, click on "find a zipcode" and enter your address. Not sure of who your state legislators are - visit www.legislature.state.oh.us and follow the directions under "Locating Legislators". Cut and paste the items that you can help with from the above list into your email and send to askASO@... - please put INSURANCE PARITY in the subject line. If you wish to participate, but would like to remain anonymous when working with legislators, please still send us your contact information so we can alert you as to when your help is needed - and you can respond to your legislators anonymously. Just note with your contact info that you would like to remain anonymous.

If you would like to receive email alerts on other autism related topics, please visit our website, www.autismohio.org and register in the "Login" section on the upper right corner of the page.

This will be a tough fight and we will only succeed with your help. We look forward to working with you on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.orgSee what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.