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Medicaid coverage for Texas children with autism… The Texas state legislative session has begun, along with our advocacy efforts to ensure autism coverage for Texas children on Medicaid! An estimated 80,000 Medicaid-enrolled Texas children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. However, most …
Texas Medicaid adds future coverage for autism… Update as of July 15, 2021: Due to COVID-19, the implementation of coverage for autism services was delayed. The benefit implementation date has been confirmed for February 1, 2022. On June 15, Governor Greg Abbott signed a budget bill which included a requirement for Texas Medicaid to cover medically necessary care, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), for all Texas Medicaid-enrolled …
Historic progress in children’s Medicaid coverage of autism services… This month, Texas became the 50 th state to implement its autism services benefit which provides coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy when medically appropriate for autistic children enrolled in Medicaid. Texas follows New York’s 2021 implementation and Illinois’s 2020 implementation, making it one of the last three …
New Mexico passes landmark legislation for autism insurance coverage… legislation. Joined by members of the autism community, Governor Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 322 which expands coverage for autism therapies to transition-age youth and adults with autism covered by private, state-regulated health benefit plans as well as Medicaid. New Mexico has set a new precedent by creating a statutory requirement for Medicaid coverage of autism therapies, …
Research reveals racial and ethnic disparities in benefits eligibility and spending among autistic adults… A recent peer-reviewed study published in May in PLOS One reveals significant disparities in eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid coverage among autistic adults, as well as inequities in spending for people enrolled in these programs. The study looked at …
Children’s Health Insurance Program: Cmte Hearing to Reauthorization… Finance Committee held a hearing on the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Testifying before the committee, autism mom Leanna George shared how CHIP has benefited her son Caleb, who has autism. Autism Speaks also … serves as a bipartisan solution to securing a healthy future for children in low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private coverage or lack access to employer-specific coverage. Since its inception, the program has helped provide affordable, …
New Texas ABA Medicaid benefit… Effective February 1, 2022, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a covered benefit for Medicaid enrollees in Texas who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This new ABA Medicaid benefit has taken years of … for those with ASD and one of the most common interventions for people with autism. Learn more about ABA. The path to coverage under Medicaid for ABA services has been long and not without its challenges. On June 15, 2019, Governor Abbott …
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 …