Local parents laud autism legislation

LYNN – Local parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders are applauding new legislation requiring insurance companies to cover diagnosis and treatment.”An Act Relative to Insurance Coverage for Autism” was signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday. The law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2011, is designed to ensure children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders receive essential diagnostic tests, medical treatment and services by requiring insurance companies to cover services that are determined to be medically necessary.Lynn resident Susan Gilroy is the co-director of the autism support center Northeast Arc in Danvers, but the legislation impacts her family on a very personal level.Gilroy’s 30-year-old daughter Lindsay was diagnosed with autism when she was three years old. The Gilroy family was at Fenway Park on Tuesday when Patrick signed the law.”I wouldn’t have missed being there,” Gilroy said. “It was a wonderful day. It is huge for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. I know it was a real strain on our family when Lindsay needed services that weren’t covered. When she was diagnosed I was handed the diagnosis and sent out into a great void. There weren’t even books available on the disorder at that time.”The legislation requires health insurance companies to provide coverage for early and intensive interventions. Under the new law, insurers may not establish any annual or lifetime service limitations on coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders that are less than that for physical conditions. Insurers may not limit the number of visits an individual may make to an autism services provider.Lynn resident Paul Halloran said his 11-year-old daughter was diagnosed with autism when she was two years old and insurance coverage was always as issue.”We did early intervention,” he said. “We did a lot of applied behavior analysis that wasn’t covered by insurance so we paid for a lot of that over the years. We’re fortunate we were in a position to fund what she needed, but I would say the majority of families are not in a position to fund that type of treatment. This will benefit the majority of families. One in every 132 children are diagnosed with some type of Autism Spectrum Disorder and this is a big step in the right direction.”