[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
West Virginia Becomes 25th State To Enact Autism Insurance Reform Legislation
Autism Speaks Joins with the West Virginia Autism Community in Applauding Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for Signing House Bill 2693 into Law Today
NEW YORK, NY (April 1, 2011) – Autism Speaks joined West Virginia families today in applauding Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for signing into law House Bill 2693. This new law requires insurance companies to provide coverage of evidence-based autism therapies, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA).
“I fully recognize the importance of this piece of legislation and the positive impact it will have for children with Autism and the relief it gives their parents,” Governor Tomblin said. “I am so pleased that West Virginia will be the 25th state to require autism related services be a part of insurance coverage available for families.
Sponsored in the West Virginia House by Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer (District 44 – Monongalia), the new law ends private insurance companies’ discrimination against children with autism by requiring coverage of evidence-based therapies, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. The new law includes a maximum benefit for ABA therapy of $30,000 annually for the first three consecutive years from the date treatment commences and a maximum benefit of $2,000 monthly thereafter until the individual reaches age 18. HB 2693 was supported through the Senate by Senator Evan H. Jenkins (District 5 – Cabell) and will go into effect on July 1 of this year.
“We thank Governor Tomblin for signing HB 2693 into law,” said Peter Bell, Autism Speaks executive vice president of programs and services. “This enactment allows West Virginia to join the growing number of states that have recognized the unfair and unreasonable burden being imposed on individuals diagnosed with autism and their families. The West Virginia enactment is especially significant for our community because now half of the United States has ended discriminatory practices by the health insurance industry against children with autism.”
Half of all states do not require private insurance companies to cover even essential autism treatments and services. In the absence of coverage, families often pay as much as they can out-of-pocket for services that can cost upwards of $50,000 per year. In the process, many risk their homes and the educations of their unaffected children – essentially mortgaging their entire futures.
“Children are our most precious resource,” stated Senator Evan Jenkins. “This legislation has been a labor of love for me and many others to help guarantee that every child has the support and opportunity needed for a healthy start in life.”
“We are most grateful for our legislative champions Delegate Fleischauer and Senator Jenkins. We also have tremendous respect and admiration for the many legislators and families who helped blaze the trail over the past several years by shining the spotlight on autism. We have had overwhelming support from the West Virginia Legislature and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin,” said Earlene Anglin, Autism Speaks West Virginia State Advocacy Chair. “This is a historic day for West Virginia, and for families living with autism, and I’m so proud of our elected officials for seeing this through.”
Governor Tomblin will host a public signing of the bill to kick off Autism Awareness Month at the Capitol on Friday, April 1, 2011.
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Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
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