Re: FW: [Autism_NY_News] AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS FOR PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN THE NATION

[Guest guest]

I find it interesting to see that some of the people of Pennsylvania seem to

feel so different about AS. Check out this article. I am not taking sides at

all, but just hope that this was not the case.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/pennsylvania-tells-autism-speaks-to-stop\

-talking,456608.shtml

>

> Subject: FW: [Autism_NY_News] AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS

PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS FOR PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN THE

NATION

> To: vdeclara@..., Justus4us@..., " 'Annette Elie' "

, cperu28@..., " 'Colleen' " ,

" 'J & V Grancarich' " , Cehcowan@...,

sList

> Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 4:09 PM

> _____

>

> From: Autism_NY_News

> [mailto:Autism_NY_News ]

> On Behalf Of Marty

> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 7:00 PM

> To: Autism_NY_News

> Subject: [Autism_NY_News] AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS

> PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS FOR

> PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN THE NATION

>

>

>

> From: AUTISM SPEAKS

>

>

>

> stein Communications, Inc.

>

> Jocelyn Aframe - ;

>

> jaframe@...

>

> _______________________________________________________________

>

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

>

>

>

> AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS

> O'BRIEN AND STATE

> LAWMAKERS FOR PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN

> THE NATION

>

>

> NEW YORK, NY (July 3, 2008) -- Autism Speaks today

> applauded Pennsylvania

> House Speaker Dennis O'Brien and state lawmakers for

> passing the strongest

> autism insurance reform legislation in the country. The

> bill (HB 150) to

> create a new " Autism Spectrum Disorders Coverage "

> provision of Pennsylvania

> insurance law was amended by the House on Tuesday and sent

> back to the

> Senate on Wednesday night where it passed 49-1. Autism

> Speaks thanked bill

> co-sponsors House Speaker Dennis O'Brien and Senator

> Jane Orie, and Senators

> Don White, Dominic Pileggi, ph Scarnati, Stack,

> Mellow

> and for their support in helping to

> protect the children of

> Pennsylvania with autism spectrum disorders.

>

>

>

> " We agree with Speaker OBrien that the House

> amendments make the strongest

> autism insurance mandate bill in the nation even

> stronger, " said

> Emken, Autism Speaks vice president of government

> relations. " We thank the

> members of House for their unanimous support and the

> members of the Senate

> for their nearly unanimous support as we continue to work

> together to ensure

> fair treatment and proper health care for all children with

> autism. We will

> continue to urge other states to follow suit and enact

> similar legislation

> to end autism discrimination in insurance coverage across

> the country. "

>

>

>

> The Pennsylvania bill provides $36,000 a year for Applied

> Behavior Analysis

> and other necessary treatments up to age 21, with no

> lifetime cap. It also

> creates a first ever, under Pennsylvania law, expedited

> appeals procedure

> for denied claims, as a safeguard to ensure the law is

> followed. The bill

> also turns the existing state welfare program for autism

> into a statutory

> requirement, to ensure that those who receive government

> provided services

> can continue to do so, while allowing for the development

> of a private

> sector delivery system with insurance reimbursement,

> offering families an

> alternative to coverage through Medicaid.

>

>

> The amended version of the bill includes new wording that

> will ensure

> greater continuity of care for children on private

> insurance and for

> children using Pennsylvania's Medical Assistance

> program. The bill also now

> states that the autism diagnosis will last for " at

> least " 12 months (versus

> only 12 months.) " This distinction will ease the

> burden on parents because

> they will not be required to have their child diagnosed

> every year, " said

> Emken.

>

>

>

> The Pennsylvania bill addresses discrimination against

> individuals with

> autism, and provides them the same medical necessity

> standards as afforded

> individuals with cancer, diabetes, and the common cold,

> allowing individuals

> with autism to be treated as all others are in the private

> insurance market.

>

>

> The bill is expected to be signed into law by the governor

> in the next ten

> days. Once enacted, the law will require private insurers

> to provide

> coverage beginning in July 2009.

>

> About Autism

> Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a

> person's ability to

> communicate and develop social relationships, and is often

> accompanied by

> extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders

> are diagnosed in

> one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four

> times as many boys

> as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in

> the last decade.

> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called

> autism a national

> public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

>

> About Autism Speaks

> Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of

> autism spectrum

> disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention

> and treatments

> for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals

> with autism and

> their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne

> and Bob ,

> the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob is

> Senior Advisor at

> Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General

> Electric, and chief

> executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than

> twenty years.

> Autism Speaks merged with the Autism Coalition for Research

> and Education

> (ACRE), the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR)

> and Cure Autism Now

> (CAN), bringing together the nation's leading autism

> advocacy organizations.

> To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit

> <http://email.rubenstein.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.autismspea

> ks.org/> www.autismspeaks.org

>

>

>

>

> # # #

[Guest guest]

Here's another write up with the same info. This really needs to be looked into further. I would like to know what happened.http://tinyurl.com/5gc87z

> From: Patti O'Meara <pattio1optonline (DOT) net>> Subject: FW: [Autism_NY_News] AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS FOR PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN THE NATION> To: vdeclara@longisland advocacycenter. org, Justus4usaol (DOT) com, "'Annette Elie'" <annette3936@ hotmail.com>, cperu28yahoo (DOT) com, "'Colleen'" <cepearl29yahoo (DOT) com>, "'J & V Grancarich'" <vickigran@optonline .net>, Cehcowanaol (DOT) com, sList@ yahoogroups. com> Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 4:09 PM> _____ > > From: Autism_NY_News@ yahoogroups. com> [mailto:Autism_NY_News@ yahoogroups. com]> On Behalf Of Marty> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 7:00 PM> To: Autism_NY_News@ yahoogroups. com> Subject: [Autism_NY_News] AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS> PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS FOR> PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN THE NATION> > > > From: AUTISM SPEAKS> > > > stein Communications, Inc.> > Jocelyn Aframe - ;> <mailto:jaframerubenstein (DOT) com>> jaframerubenstein (DOT) com> > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > > > AUTISM SPEAKS APPLAUDS PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS> O'BRIEN AND STATE> LAWMAKERS FOR PASSING STRONGEST AUTISM INSURANCE MANDATE IN> THE NATION> > > NEW YORK, NY (July 3, 2008) -- Autism Speaks today> applauded Pennsylvania> House Speaker Dennis O'Brien and state lawmakers for> passing the strongest> autism insurance reform legislation in the country. The> bill (HB 150) to> create a new "Autism Spectrum Disorders Coverage"> provision of Pennsylvania> insurance law was amended by the House on Tuesday and sent> back to the> Senate on Wednesday night where it passed 49-1. Autism> Speaks thanked bill> co-sponsors House Speaker Dennis

O'Brien and Senator> Jane Orie, and Senators> Don White, Dominic Pileggi, ph Scarnati, Stack,> Mellow> and for their support in helping to> protect the children of> Pennsylvania with autism spectrum disorders.> > > > "We agree with Speaker OBrien that the House> amendments make the strongest> autism insurance mandate bill in the nation even> stronger," said > Emken, Autism Speaks vice president of government> relations. "We thank the> members of House for their unanimous support and the> members of the Senate> for their nearly unanimous support as we continue to work> together to ensure> fair treatment and proper health care for all children with> autism. We will> continue to urge other states to follow suit and enact> similar legislation> to

end autism discrimination in insurance coverage across> the country."> > > > The Pennsylvania bill provides $36,000 a year for Applied> Behavior Analysis> and other necessary treatments up to age 21, with no> lifetime cap. It also> creates a first ever, under Pennsylvania law, expedited> appeals procedure> for denied claims, as a safeguard to ensure the law is> followed. The bill> also turns the existing state welfare program for autism> into a statutory> requirement, to ensure that those who receive government> provided services> can continue to do so, while allowing for the development> of a private> sector delivery system with insurance reimbursement,> offering families an> alternative to coverage through Medicaid. > > > The amended version of the bill includes new wording that>

will ensure> greater continuity of care for children on private> insurance and for> children using Pennsylvania' s Medical Assistance> program. The bill also now> states that the autism diagnosis will last for "at> least" 12 months (versus> only 12 months.) "This distinction will ease the> burden on parents because> they will not be required to have their child diagnosed> every year," said> Emken.> > > > The Pennsylvania bill addresses discrimination against> individuals with> autism, and provides them the same medical necessity> standards as afforded> individuals with cancer, diabetes, and the common cold,> allowing individuals> with autism to be treated as all others are in the private> insurance market.> > > The bill is expected to be signed into law by the governor> in

the next ten> days. Once enacted, the law will require private insurers> to provide> coverage beginning in July 2009.> > About Autism> Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a> person's ability to> communicate and develop social relationships, and is often> accompanied by> extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders> are diagnosed in> one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four> times as many boys> as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in> the last decade.> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called> autism a national> public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.> > About Autism Speaks> Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of> autism spectrum> disorders, to funding research into the causes,

prevention> and treatments> for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals> with autism and> their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne> and Bob ,> the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob is> Senior Advisor at> Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General> Electric, and chief> executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than> twenty years.> Autism Speaks merged with the Autism Coalition for Research> and Education> (ACRE), the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR)> and Cure Autism Now> (CAN), bringing together the nation's leading autism> advocacy organizations.> To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit> <http://email. rubenstein.

com/exchweb/ bin/redir. asp?URL=http: //www.autismspea> ks.org/> www.autismspeaks. org> > > > > # # #