Gov. M. Jodi Rell signs a bill in June 2008 providing limited insurance coverage for expenses from autism in children.
The Connecticut General Assembly is considering mandating insurance companies to cover all expenses related to the treatment of children with autistic spectrum disorders.
Last year, the legislature passed an autism insurance bill that mandated partial coverage for physical therapy and speech therapy. The new law would add behavioral and psychological evaluations to that list, as well as medications, joining seven other states that provide full coverage for autism treatments under medical plans.
Opponents fear health insurance rates could ratchet upward if the bill is passed, as families submit claims for services not provided by their school districts.
“Autism is first and foremost a medical condition,” said Shannon Knall, head of Connecticut advocacy for New York City-based Autism Speaks Inc., testifying on behalf of the bill in February. “The fact that we are being denied services that should be covered under insurance plans is nothing short of discrimination.”
The board of Autism Speaks includes former General Electric Co. Chairman Bob Wright and his wife, Suzanne.
Some 2,730 Connecticut children ages 3 to 11 received treatment for autism in the 2007-08 school year, according to state records.
