By Jonathan Slack, Market Research & Development Specialist, AHSS
Even though we have made great strides, parents in various parts of the country still have trouble buying insurance that covers autism services. But parents in Colorado are finally set to receive some relief.
A bill recently passed the state legislature that would reclassify autism as a mental illness for insurance purposes. This would eliminate most of the financial caps on autism services, including ABA therapy, in Colorado. (You can see Colorado’s current caps here.) Due to the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, insurers can only place caps on autism services if they place caps on other treatments including physical ailments.
Hopefully, other states will follow Colorado’s lead. An individual on the spectrum should receive all of the therapy he or she needs, not just the therapy insurance companies are willing to allow.
