80th Legislature: Sen. Lucio Files Bill To Prevent Insurance Companies From Denying Services To Those With Autism

State Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. has filed Senate Bill 419, which will prevent insurance companies fromd enying certain benefits to children who suffer with Autism.

“On behalf of thousands of Texas families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), I am extremely excited to announce new legislation that will help assure vital services are provided for children and adults diagnosed with this condition” said Lucio.

According to Lucio’s office, the language in SB 419 is “the culmination of six years of research on how to most effectively and affordably serve individuals with ASD in Texas.”

Among things SB 419 does is define autism as a “neurobiological disorder.” It also prevents insurance companies from denying certain coverage to enrollees who are diagnosed with autism, and requires insurance companies pay for certain services for autism sufferers, including:

(1)applied behavioral analysis;
(2)behavior training and behavior management;
(3)speech therapy;
(4)occupational therapy;
(5)physical therapy; or
(6)medications or nutritional supplements used to address symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.

The full text of the release is here.
In contrast to the soon-to-be-filed autism voucher bill, which is quite worrysome for various reasons, this is legislation we should all support. Having statutory provisions that prevent insurance companies from “cherry picking” what treatments are and are not appropriate for certain diseases flys in the face of medical science, common sense, and progressive ideals.

This is good legislation that will help a lot of Texans who suffer from this condition.