Insurance companies cover Mo. autism treatments

Thursday, February 2, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s insurance department says nearly 4,000 residents received autism treatments that were covered by their health insurance plans last year.

The department said Wednesday that insurance companies covered about $4.3 million in autism-related treatments in 2011. A state law that took effect in January 2011 requires health insurance companies to cover certain autism treatments, such as behavioral analyses.

Insurance director John Huff says the new law did not significantly increase health insurance premiums or health care costs in Missouri.

The department says the average cost for autism treatments is about $143 per month.

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JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago

Since when is Autism considered to be an illness? Can other disabled folks get their education services paid for by medical insurance too?

JCLifer 1 year, 4 months ago

BTW: The AP's math doesn't add up. 4,000 persons receiving monthly treatmens averaging $143 a month = $6,864,000.00 a year, not "$4.3 million".

I cannot imagine a nearly $6.9 million dollar expense "not significantly increas(ing) health insurance premiums or health care costs in Missouri". Someone is paying for that $6.9 million, and you know it isn't the providers or the insurance companies.

I am not opposed to Autistic persons getting treatment- but there are several huge disconnects in all this.

Rootsseeker 1 year, 4 months ago

Strange, but I don't see where it states persons with autism are getting their education paid for by health insurance plans or that its considered an illness.

viktorkowski 1 year, 4 months ago

support them now or support them for the rest of their lives. a great number of children improve with early education. to state that paying for education for a autistic child is a waste of money is ignorant.

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