[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]

Autism Speaks Takes On ‘Big Insurance’ In NC With Ad Campaign

July 15, 2014

RALEIGH, NC (July 14, 2014) – Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the launch of newspaper advertisements supporting families affected by autism in their fight towards autism insurance reform in the North Carolina Legislature. The North Carolina House twice in two years has passed reform bills, but the Senate has refused to take up the issue.

The ads lay out the medical and economic facts of applied behavior analysis (ABA) that have been misrepresented by Blue Cross Blue Shield and other opponents to autism insurance reform in this year’s short session. They also highlight the overwhelming 82 percent public support for this legislation in recent polling. (Note: Non-Autistic people poll.)

“It is shameless that Big Insurance companies are fighting against efforts to help children and their families who pay thousands of dollars a year in premiums for coverage that provides no meaningful autism benefits,” said Lorri Unumb, Autism Speaks’ vice president for state government affairs. “The Senate must not stand for these barefaced lies and work with the House in finding a solution to help the 1 in 58 children affected with autism across the state.”

In both the 2013 and 2014 sessions the House has passed insurance reform bills, only to see the effort stalled by inaction in the Senate. During that time, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, Nebraska, Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted reform, while six other states, including Texas and Kansas, have strengthened their original laws.

“How is it that leading medical professionals and 37 other states have concluded the same thing, yet Blue Cross continues to look the other way,” said Unumb. “It’s time for the North Carolina Senate to stand with thousands of families who pay $60,000 a year out of pocket forcing some to move out of state.”

Researchers from the UNC Institute for Development Disabilities, American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institute for Mental Health, the U.S. Surgeon General and countless other professional organizations have all endorsed ABA as an evidence-based treatment that has advanced the development and quality of life for generations of children with autism.

The ads will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

BLUE CROSS
BLUE SHIELD
IS FOOLING
WITH OUR KIDS.

82% of North Carolinians
want autism insurance reform
but BCBS is fighting them.

/North Caralina statewide pol conducted May 21-22, 201-4 by Pubic Opinion Strat
They cover autism treatment, including ABA therapy, in 37 OTHER
states, where the legislature has passed an autism insurance bill.

But NOT HERE. Hey BCBS – LIVE FEARLESS? Not if you live in North
Carolina and have a child with autism.

THEY SAY
THEY SAY

BBS of NC says the treatment is “educational”
and should be handled by the schools.

BBS of NC says the coverage will cost too much.

THE FACTS
THE FACTS

Under the bill, ABA therapy must be covered only
when it is prescribed by a doctor and deemed
medically necessary.
The American Medical Association recently
created CPT codes for ABA therapy. The AMA
does not create PT codes for teachers to use
in schools.
“The idea that the educational system is respon
sible for the treatment of children with autism
does not reflect the state-of-the-art knowledge
in the scientific, clinical literature and leads to
continued denial of evidence-based treatments
for children with autism.’
The actual cost in other states where insurance
covers this treatment has averaged 31 cents
per member per month – less than one
Happy Meal per year. Most North Carolinians
(82%) support this bill requiring insurance
coverage for autism, even knowing what the
cost is.
A Virginia report shows the total cost of all 30 of
Virginia’s state-mandated benefits (compared
to NC’s 22 mandated benefits) is only about
$5.50 per month.
Spreading the risk is what insurance is for.
The cost of not requiring coverage for ABA
treatment is enormous to the taxpayers. The
lifetime societal cost for each individual with
autism is estimated at $3.2 million. Ganz,2007,
THEY SAY
BBS of NC says ABA therapy is “experimental.”
THE FACTS
The use of ABA therapy for children with autism
is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and the
American Academy of Pediatrics, and has been
proven to be the most cost-effective treatment
after decades of use.
VOTE YES
for Autism
Insurance Reform
Last year the NC House of Representatives passed the autism
insurance bill by a vote of 105-7.
It’s time for the North Carolina Senate to act.
autismspeakschampions.org/northcarolina
Pan for by Audism Speaks
AUTISM SPEAKS*
Its time to listen.
http://www.AutismSpeaks.org

The Autism Community Is Not The Autistic Community

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.