FW: [Autism_NY_News] How to Get Your Insurance Company to Cover Autism Treatment

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Subject: [Autism_NY_News] How to

Get Your Insurance Company to Cover Autism Treatment

http://autism.about.com/b/2008/08/15/how-to-get-your-insurance-company-to-cover-autism-treatment.htm

How

to Get Your Insurance Company to Cover Autism Treatment

Friday August 15, 2008

Who knew it was possible to get coverage for autism treatments through

ordinary insurance? The answer is Peck, the author of Blessed with Autism - A Parents'

Guide to Securing Financial Support for the Treatment of Children with Autism

and Special Needs. Peck is a health insurance

professional and the mom of a child with autism - and she has plumbed the

depths of the insurance maze to find funding for autism treatments.

While

's book, with its detailed information and worksheets, is only

available through her website, she

did share information with me about the steps to take to get started on

finding insurance coverage for treatments such as occupational therapy,

physical therapy, speech therapy and even Applied Behavior Analysis. It's also

worth knowing that most of the national codes for autism-related health

insurance are available, free of charge, at Insurance Help for Autism, a site

dedicated to the subject (though focused largely on resources in California).

Peck also

shared another critical piece of advice: do your insurance homework before you negotiate for services and

programs with your school. Once you know what's covered, you're in a better

position to bargain with the district. If you know, for example, that insurance

will cover physical therapy for your child you might choose to forgo PT at

school in exchange for a strong social skills program.

A small

word to the wise: Ms. Peck's success is based on an extraordinary amount of

patience and organization - not to mention a willingness to confront and battle

with insurance companies, school districts and individual therapists. I have to

admit that I don't have what it takes to follow in her footsteps; I've chosen

to take my child out of school altogether and work with him on my own. For those with

the right temperament, though, success is possible!