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Autism Speaks honors Texas State Representative Donna Howard for advocacy on behalf of autism community… Autism Speaks was proud to present State Representative Donna Howard with our 2023 Public Service Award for her unwavering support and advocacy on behalf of the autism community in Texas. The award was bestowed upon … during the past legislative session to improve access to autism services for children, teens and young adults under Texas Medicaid. Historically a champion for the autism community, Representative Howard’s advocacy continued during the 2023 Texas … diagnosed with ASD, timely access to evidence-based treatments, including ABA, is crucial. Unfortunately, the path to coverage under Medicaid for ABA services in Texas has been challenging. In June of 2019, Governor Abbott signed a budget …
Advocating for those with severe, intense and challenging behaviors… landscape of autism advocacy and reignite our collective action. Joined by experts and leaders in the field, including my former colleague Judith Ursitti, we dove into groundbreaking strategies for those with autism who need it most. In this … response training and emergency protocols, and developing alert systems for the dangerous instances of elopement. State Medicaid Services State Medicaid plans and waivers provide state specific approaches to address challenging behaviors and … impactful in access to care and services. Healthcare Services: Regardless of how generous your state is in their healthcare coverage, ever since 2014 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has required coverage of all medically necessary care …
2022 Advocacy Highlights… together with advocates across the country, our team works to protect the rights of autistic individuals and advocate for investments in autism programs that pay dividends for our community. Throughout this year, we pursued policy solutions … $30 million in funding for the Autism Research Program at the Department of Defense Texas became the 50th state to require coverage of applied behavior analysis therapy for autistic children enrolled in Medicaid, while states across the country took steps to improve the implementation of coverage for autism services under …
Maryland legislation addresses inequities in care under Medicaid… The Maryland Legislature has passed two bills addressing burdensome requirements for autism care under Medicaid. These bills are now headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. Companion bills, … a requirement of private insurance plans in Maryland. In 2016, Maryland filed a Medicaid State Plan Amendment which added coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with an autism diagnosis. That amendment did not include …
Funding for Residential Support Services… Most families cannot afford to privately support an adult with significant behavioral and/or medical needs. Therefore, it is critical to consider … with developmental disabilities. In most states, individuals who need residential support will need to be eligible for Medicaid – a program designed to pay for intensive services. In the past, Medicaid funding was limited to those who lived in … placements for people with disabilities. To be eligible for Medicaid, a person must fit in a specific category of coverage (i.e. age 65 or above, blindness, disabilities), and meet income and assets requirements. Medicaid Home and …
Alabama Governor signs autism insurance reform bill… Autism Speaks joins the Autism Society of Alabama in applauding Governor Kay Ivey for signing into law House Bill 284 , which requires certain health benefit plans to cover medically necessary treatment for … analysis (ABA). Governor Ivey signed HB 284 on Friday, May 19, 2017, making Alabama the 46th state to require meaningful coverage for the treatment of autism. Sponsored by Representative Jim Patterson and Senator Tom Whatley, the bill faced … Alabama’s obligation under Federal law to provide medically necessary treatment for autism under the EPSDT benefit of Medicaid. Autism Speaks estimates that the terms of coverage in HB 284 will apply to nearly 1 million Alabamians. … …
Autism Speaks representative appointed to National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Consumer Liaison group… Government Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy Kelly Headrick was recently named as a 2022 consumer liaison representative for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). In this role, Ms. Headrick will give voice to issues with coverage for autism services and mental health parity experienced by consumers of health insurance in the autism community. … state-regulated health plans. And as recently as this week, we celebrated Texas becoming the 50 th state to implement its Medicaid autism services benefit which provides coverage for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy when medically …
Pennsylvania removes insurance barriers for autism spectrum disorder… Unnecessary barriers to insurance coverage of autism benefits have historically persisted in Pennsylvania despite federal law and state precedent for the coverage of autism services. Starting in 2024, over 55,000 Pennsylvanians with autism will now benefit from … Governor Josh Shapiro’s Press Release Health Insurance Coverage of Autism Pennsylvania State-Regulated Insurance Coverage Medicaid Coverage of Autism Become an autism advocate! … Governor Shapiro Administration Makes Clear that Autism Services …
Advocacy Perspective: During Black History Month, A Call To Action To Advance Health Equity … Black History Month is a time to honor the resilience of Black leaders who have come before us and mobilized movements to eliminate racial injustice, in an effort to make our country and our world a better … I was proud to work with leading maternal health advocates to introduce legislative efforts to strengthen healthcare coverage for low-income women, being very specific to call out the experiences and needs of African American women. Research … address these gaps in access and coverage, I’ve worked with key stakeholders to advance legislative measures to strengthen Medicaid coverage for low-income individuals. Research also shows that Medicaid beneficiaries are overrepresented by …
Georgia celebrates expanded coverage of autism services… law, demonstrating the lawmakers' commitment to Georgians who need mental health support. This new law boosts protections for autistic individuals and improves coverage of autism services by Medicaid, the State Health Benefit Plan and other state-regulated health plans. It aims to enforce the federal mental health …