Urges passage of legislation

To the editor:

As the mother of a child with autism, House Bill 187 and Senate Bill 74 excite me. They will require insurers to cover evidence-based autism spectrum disorder therapies like applied behavior analysis. Currently, insurers deny payment of this and other therapeutic treatments for autism spectrum disorder.

Rep. Pete Petersen and Sen. Johnny Ellis sponsored these bills. Chairman of the Health and Social Services Committee, Wes Keller, has been stalling HB 187. Alaskans cannot afford this delay.

Treating ASD costs families upwards of $50,000 annually. Taxpayers also pay for autism spectrum disorder through special education, social community support services and Medicaid. The CDC estimates the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder at 1 in 110 children.

Research has shown that 40 percent to 45 percent of children who receive intensive early behavioral intervention achieved near normal or normal functioning. That amounts to a cost benefit savings of $1,686,061 to $2,816,535 per child over a lifetime.

Twenty-nine states have already enacted autism insurance reform laws; 13 other states are pursuing similar legislation. Please encourage Rep. Keller to act by calling him at (907) 465-2186.

Stacey Finley

Anchorage