Fw: Support HB 8

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CahoonMom to Tristan my beautiful 8 yr old son with autism.1 in every 150 children are born with autism in the US My new email michellecahoon@...From: Autism Society of America <lee.grossman@...>Subject: Support HB 8michellecahoon@...Date: Friday, April 3, 2009, 9:59 AM

Autism Society of America

Dear Friend of ASA-ASO: HB 8 has been favorably voted out of the House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee! Please use this link to write to your state representative and urge him or her to support HB 8. The fourth hearing of HB 8, Autism Insurance Coverage, before the House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee, held Wednesday, March 31, 2009 went very well. Many thanks to the individuals with autism, their families, service providers and other supporters who attended! The Committee, chaired by Rep. Lorraine Fende, reviewed a variety of amendments to the bill. Rep. Garland, committee Vice-Chair and the co-sponsor of HB 8, introduced an

amendment to the bill to clarify the language in some sections and to add an "opt out" if cost increases exceed 1%. This amendment was passed by the committee. The Republican committee members then introduced a variety of amendments intended mainly to limit the scope of the bill - a yearly cost cap of $36,000, an age limit for coverage to 13 years old, limiting the number of visits covered, exempting employers with 50 or less employees. All of these amendments were tabled and not included in the bill. The committee then voted 10-3 to favorably recommend HB 8 to the full House for consideration with three of the Republican members - Reps.. Hackett, Lehner and Snitchler - voting to support the bill! Rep. Lehner also signed on as a sponsor of the bill! HB 8 will most likely be considered by the full House for a vote near the end of April after the General Assembly's spring break. ASA-ASO

will provide information on when the vote will take place as soon as it is available. This is a HUGE victory! Many thanks are due to co-sponsors Rep. Ted Celeste and Rep. Garland, HAA Chairwoman Rep. Lorraine Fende and the other members of the committee who supported this bill including Democrats Reps. Bolon, , Moran, Patten, B. and Republicans Reps. Hackett, Lehner and Snitchler. If one of these members is your legislator, please be sure to write and thank them for their support. Now is the time to contact your representative and ask them to support HB 8! Please use this link to write to your state representative and urge him or her to support HB 8. The ASA-Autism Society of Ohio has created a web page devoted exclusively to Autism Insurance

Parity. Click here to visit.. It contains complete information on Autism Insurance Coverage and HB 8. Sincerely,

Autism Society of America - Autism Society of Ohio Chapter

Autism Society of America | 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 | Bethesda, land 20814-3067

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