Miami Herald: State appeals order to pay for ABA

[Guest guest]

has sent you the following story:

Posted on Sunday, Jan. 06, 2013

State appeals order to pay for special autism treatment

By Carol Marbin

Already facing sharp criticism over policies that have resulted in the rationing of care to severely disabled children, Florida healthcare regulators are challenging a federal judge’s order that the state provide a costly — but potentially life-changing — treatment to children with autism.Last spring, U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard struck down the state’s refusal to pay for applied behavior analysis (ABA) for autistic children, calling the state’s policy “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.” The court case involved three autistic youngsters — then-5-year-old K.G., 2-year-old I.G. and 4-year-old C.C. — whose efforts to obtain behavioral therapy had been denied by the state’s Medicaid insurance program for needy and disabled people. Lenard ordered that the three children be given the care they sought — and that the state provide such care to other autistic children, as well.

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[Guest guest]

Families should be outraged by the discrimination and blatant disregard for the proven effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis for children with autism by the state of Florida. I don't know where the state comes up with it's statements calling ABA "experimental" when in fact, it's one of the few interventions that is evidence based, has clinical trials, and outcome studies to support it's efficacy.

As per the article "The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the health departments of several other states all have endorsed behavior analysis as an evidence-based treatment for autism." I don't think these organizations would have made this stuff up!

Exercise your rights to advocate for your children and their future.

Warm regards,

Stacey

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/06/3170478_p2/state-appeals-order-to-pay-for.html#storylink=cpy

Stacey HoaglundFamily Support SpecialistFamily Network on DisabilitiesP.O. Box 260909Pembroke Pines, FL 33026http://www.facebook.com/staceyhoaglund.disabilityadvocatePhone: Fax: Author: Go for the Goal; A Parent's Guide to Creating Meaningful IEP Goalshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JEZWW

[Guest guest]

FYI, The Autism Society of Florida, Autism Speaks and Florida's Children First have all signed on to the Amicus Brief on behalf of these families. AHCA doesn't want to have this be a class action and only want to pay for the 3 individuals that filed the suit. That is why they are appealing. FYI, they didn't mention in their appeal about ABA being experimental. 

 

Families should be outraged by the discrimination and blatant disregard for the proven effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis for children with autism by the state of Florida.  I don't know where the state comes up with it's statements calling ABA " experimental " when in fact, it's one of the few interventions that is evidence based, has clinical trials, and outcome studies to support it's efficacy.

 

As per the article " The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the health departments of several other states all have endorsed behavior analysis as an evidence-based treatment for autism. "   I don't think these organizations would have made this stuff up!

 

Exercise your rights to advocate for your children and their future.

 

Warm regards,

Stacey

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/06/3170478_p2/state-appeals-order-to-pay-for.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

Stacey HoaglundFamily Support SpecialistFamily Network on DisabilitiesP.O. Box 260909Pembroke Pines, FL 33026http://www.facebook.com/staceyhoaglund.disabilityadvocatePhone: Fax: Author: Go for the Goal; A Parent's Guide to Creating Meaningful IEP Goalshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JEZWW

[Guest guest]

They don't want this to go class action because then there's potential that children with autism could get what they need, and that would cost the state money. We know that ABA is a proven technique for kids and adults with autism. It has been accepted as a proven technique as evidenced by insurance companies being mandated to provide for its coverage, albeit, not all of them do. Children who have no private insurance coverage should be no less considered than those with coverage for this intervention. In some states ABA is accepted, provided and funded by and through the Department of Education. Until our state recognizes the importance of public education and health care needs of individuals with disabilities through financial support, we will remain in a situation of unmet needs.

Just my two cents,

Stacey

Stacey HoaglundFamily Support SpecialistFamily Network on DisabilitiesP.O. Box 260909Pembroke Pines, FL 33026http://www.facebook.com/staceyhoaglund.disabilityadvocatePhone: Fax: Author: Go for the Goal; A Parent's Guide to Creating Meaningful IEP Goalshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JEZWW

[Guest guest]

Their is a flip side to this also. The many of us that don't qualify for medicare because of income, yet are out in the cold because of all the loopholes given our private insurers. For example most hospital workers.

To: sList Sent: Monday, January 7, 2013 8:47:02 PMSubject: Re: Miami Herald: State appeals order to pay for ABA

FYI, The Autism Society of Florida, Autism Speaks and Florida's Children First have all signed on to the Amicus Brief on behalf of these families. AHCA doesn't want to have this be a class action and only want to pay for the 3 individuals that filed the suit. That is why they are appealing. FYI, they didn't mention in their appeal about ABA being experimental.

Families should be outraged by the discrimination and blatant disregard for the proven effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis for children with autism by the state of Florida. I don't know where the state comes up with it's statements calling ABA "experimental" when in fact, it's one of the few interventions that is evidence based, has clinical trials, and outcome studies to support it's efficacy.

As per the article "The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the health departments of several other states all have endorsed behavior analysis as an evidence-based treatment for autism." I don't think these organizations would have made this stuff up!

Exercise your rights to advocate for your children and their future.

Warm regards,

Stacey

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/06/3170478_p2/state-appeals-order-to-pay-for.html#storylink=cpy

Stacey HoaglundFamily Support SpecialistFamily Network on DisabilitiesP.O. Box 260909Pembroke Pines, FL 33026http://www.facebook.com/staceyhoaglund.disabilityadvocatePhone: Fax: Author: Go for the Goal; A Parent's Guide to Creating Meaningful IEP Goalshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JEZWW

[Guest guest]

You are 100% correct and speaking to the choir. FYI, When they passed the insurance bill, you may remember that the House wanted to expand it to Kidcare and Medicaid and there was a backlash from the Senate. There was $38 million extra dollars that could have been spent to serve those kids through Kidcare and Medicaid. Not sure how the state's argument could hold water, since they mandated insurance companies to cover it under group insurance policies. The reason there are so few covering it though, is the fact that the employers are self-insured or have ERISA policies and the state can't mandate them to cover. These days 80% or more of the employers have ERISA policies, thus no coverage. 

It makes much more sense to try and help kids now and spend the money now and those kids may end up in regular classrooms needing little or no supports, than to not provide appropriate services and basically set them up to fail later. The problem with the legislature, AHCA and the government in general is they would rather cut funds or say, we cannot afford it now, because those people won't be there when it hits the fan 10 years down the road. They want to get re-elected and have their day in the spotlight for saving Florida money now, without concern for the consequences when our children grow up. Pretty sad, but true. I think the statistics are if they spend $1.00 today, it will save taxpayers $7.00 later. You and I will be here later for the fallout, but they will have moved on to private industry, become CEO of a Hospital, practice law or become a lobbyist.  

 

They don't want this to go class action because then there's potential that children with autism could get what they need, and that would cost the state money.  We know that ABA is a proven technique for kids and adults with autism.  It has been accepted as a proven technique as evidenced by insurance companies being mandated to provide for its coverage, albeit, not all of them do.  Children who have no private insurance coverage should be no less considered than those with coverage for this intervention.  In some states ABA is accepted, provided and funded by and through the Department of Education.  Until our state recognizes the importance of public education and health care needs of individuals with disabilities through financial support, we will remain in a situation of unmet needs.

 

Just my two cents,

Stacey

 

 

 

 

Stacey HoaglundFamily Support SpecialistFamily Network on DisabilitiesP.O. Box 260909Pembroke Pines, FL 33026http://www.facebook.com/staceyhoaglund.disabilityadvocatePhone: Fax: Author: Go for the Goal; A Parent's Guide to Creating Meaningful IEP Goalshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JEZWW