Update on status of House Bill 8 - Autism Insurance Coverage

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of the Autism Society of Ohio:

Update on status of House Bill 8 - Autism Insurance

Coverage – Sign up today to help the Autism Society of Ohio (ASO) make this legislation a reality!

Thank you so much to all of you who

helped to secure the House passage of Ohio

House Bill 8 - Autism Insurance Coverage by a vote of 57-39 back on

December 8, 2009.   This was an important

first step! 

 

The bill has now

moved to the Ohio

Senate for consideration and was assigned to the Senate Insurance Commerce

and Labor Committee. 

 

Getting this bill heard by the Senate Insurance Commerce and

Labor Committee is going to be challenging given the current climate in Columbus.  Legislators will be looking to the fall

elections and be concerned about votes on controversial legislation that could

impact the elections.  Additionally, this

General Assembly has only passed 17 bills this session, with  6 being related to the budget and the rest

more straightforward (like removing the words Mental Retardation from state

language), so gridlock is also a concern.

 

That said, the Alliance

of groups working for Autism Insurance Reform is working on a strategy to get

the Ohio Senate to consider autism insurance coverage legislation.  This includes meeting with leadership in the

Senate, working with specific Senators to secure a sponsor and/or support for

the legislation, and to provide Senators with information about autism

insurance coverage.

 

The Autism Society

needs your help!  ASO will again be

looking to grassroots advocates to assist with this process.  We are looking for team leaders in key Senate

districts to mobilize supporters in that district to work with and educate

Senators about autism and autism insurance coverage.  Team leaders would be provided with specific

information on how to be an effective advocate and mobilize supporters.  Team leaders would be asked to meet with

Senators, either in their home district or Columbus to discuss the legislation, assist

in setting up meetings for others, help organize targeted efforts around their

Senator (ie. making sure that there are supporters asking about autism

insurance coverage at appearances).

 

Specific Senators are being targeted at this time:  Senators A. Carey, Jr.

(R-Wellston), Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls), Goodman (R- New Albany), Bill (R-Ashland), Jim

(R-Columbus), Jon A. Husted (R-Kettering), (R-Springboro) , Tom

Patton (R-, Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), Bill

Seitz (R-Cincinnati), Jimmy (R-Albany), Mark D. Wagoner (R-Toledo),

R. Widener (R-Springfield). 

If you live in one of these Senator’s district – we need your help!   Not sure who your Senator is?  Click here, scroll down the

page and enter your zipcode. Strongsville)

 

But it will be

important to secure votes from as many Senators as possible – both

Republican and Democrat to secure the passage of this bill – so your help is

needed no matter what Senate district you live in.

 

Sign up to be a team

leader! If you are interested in and able to help with this process in a

more intensive way as a team leader, please send your name, address, phone

number and Senate District to the Autism Society of Ohio at askASO@....  Sign

up to help! If you are not able to be a team leader, but still would like

to help with the process, please send your information as well.  The Autism Society will provide you with all of the information you need to be part of this process.

 

Senators need to hear from constituents about issues that

are important and autism insurance coverage is a very important issue for

individuals with autism and their families.  

The Autism Society of Ohio will not be successful in securing autism

insurance coverage without the help of constituents, so please consider

becoming more involved in this process. 

 

Please share this

with anyone you think might be interested in helping with this effort.

Sincerely,Autism Society of Ohio1335 Dublin Rd., Suite 205-CColumbus, OH 43215(614) 487-4726fax: (614) 487-4725general email: askASO@...

personal email: ASAASOExecDir@...web: www.autismohio.org