Re: Autism / Insurance bill signing

[Guest guest]

from Sun Sentinel Blog: (date and time at bottom)

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/

Gov. Crist expected to sign autism bill in Broward

> Posted by Kleindienst at 4:22 PM

Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to be in South Florida next week to

sign the last bill that passed during the legislative session – a

mandate for insurance companies to cover therapy sessions for

children diagnosed with autism.

Championed by Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller of City,

the measure was thrown to the House on the last night of session to

take or leave. House leaders had hijacked the autism bill filed by

Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, and wanted to add in children with

developmental disabilities. But knowing the Senate was about to gavel

business to a close, House leaders reluctantly opted to approve it.

The scene was high drama. Senators stood on the Senate floor,

watching a TV screen in the front of their chamber that showed

huddled House leaders trying to make a decision, knowing it was

quickly reaching 6 p.m. and the Senate was about to adjourn the 2008

session.

" With all the high drama, they need to do a made-for-TV movie, " said

Geller. " But Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds are too old to play me.

And Tom Cruise is too young. We may have to cancel that idea because

we can't find a 50-something leading man. "

As of now, the bill signing is scheduled for 2 p.m. next Tuesday at

the Center for Autism Related Diseases at Nova Southeastern in Davie.

>

> Hello fellow parents,

>

> An aide to Senator Geller told me Friday that there is a bill

signing

> ceremony scheduled for Tuesday the 20th, exact location to be

> determined but probably on the Nova campus in Davie.

>

> The Governor is scheduled to speak at a hurricane conference at the

> Broward Convention Center Wednesday so the scheduling fits. It also

> makes sense to sign the Bill in Senator Geller's District.

>

> There will most probably be much political backslapping and

> handshaking with much congratulating for a job well done.

>

> I would urge anyone going to give credit where credit is due,

however

> to reserve their praise with a reminder that this should be viewed

as

> only a first baby step. In my opinion any undo praise from us

parents

> will just make it harder to revisit the issue next session and

there

> is still much to do.

>

> The Bill as written does not cover a majority of autistic children,

> it does not cover any of them right now, and it has several

loopholes

> for the insurance industry to exploit. You can be sure that the

well-

> financed insurance lobby will be trying to wiggle out of this next

> session.

>

> The House version, while softer on the insurance industry than the

> Senate version, had many provisions beyond insurance that offered

> more comprehensive help for these children.

>

> I hope in the next session there will be Bills that will expand on

> what the House offered and that there will be an expansion of the

> insurance provisions that just passed. The time for parent

lobbyist's

> to start contacting their Representatives and Senators starts

Tuesday.

>

> Steve Moyer

>