Feb 26, 2009 5:25 pm US/Eastern
Families Want Autism Therapy Covered By Insurance
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Families of autistic children rallied in Annapolis Thursday to get insurance coverage for a therapy they say makes a world of difference.
Families of autistic children rallied in Annapolis Thursday to get insurance coverage for a therapy they say makes a world of difference.
As
Suzanne Collins reports, families say the therapy involves rewards for good behavior.
At the rally calling for autism insurance benefits, a 22-year-old with autism says a special therapy turned him into a functional adult.
"They said I'd be institutionalized, be a burden to taxpayers, I'd be unable to dress myself, bang my head on the wall. Well, I'm here today to tell them I'm a taxpayer," says Adam Berman.
The families of those with autism want applied behavior analysis covered, saying it's proven to work, is medically accepted and that children who receive the therapy change drastically.
Carter Nakhla used to be non-verbal.
"He couldn't ask me for a drink of water, he couldn't tell me his name," said Jennifer Nakhla of her son.
Then the boy received behaviorial therapy.
"He will carry on a conversation with you. If you ask what he did that day, he'll tell you," says Steven Nakhla.
Lawmakers heard testimony on a bill that requires insurance companies to cover the therapy.
Maryland's Attorney General says companies such as Microsoft and Home Depot have health plans that cover this autism treatment. Even the state of Maryland covers it for 800 children, but several large insurance companies do not.
One of those insurers says mandating coverage for care that has not been proven to be medically effective is a dangerous and expensive path to go down. It adds costs to the healthcare system at a time when we are seeking to make care more affordable.
Twelve-year-old Doug Gabler's mother says she would never have taken her son to a rally like this before he totally changed with therapy.
"You see he's standing here, not tantruming. He's behaving very well," said Martha Gabler.
Gabler says earlier in Doug's life when he was just 4, she had a harder time managing his behavior.
The cost of autism therapy can be around $500 a week.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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