Insurers Say Autism Coverage Would be Costly for W.Va.
Executives with the state’s largest insurers say that if West Virginia goes the route of some other states in requiring health insurance policies to cover children with autism, then premiums for all policyholders would increase.
West Virginia currently is one of several states that don’t require insurers to pick up the bills for providing therapy services to children with autism, which can cost families as much as $50,000 per year. State lawmakers have been holding a series of public hearings this year to see whether that should change. The most recent hearing was Sept. 14.
What they learned at the hearing is that the state has a higher prevalence of autism than much of the rest of the country, with one out of every 60 children showing signs of some degree of autism compared to a national average of one out of every 110 children, according to figures compiled by the state Public Employees Insurance Agency.
Read more here: Insurers Say Autism Coverage Would be Costly for W.Va. – State Journal – STATEJOURNAL.com.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.