Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2009-04-08)
State House Democrats introduced legislation Wednesday that would require autism treatment to be covered by health insurance.
Parents of autistic children say insurance companies are discriminating against their families by denying the children speech therapy and other costly treatments.
James Espinoza has a son with autism. He says nine-year-old Logan missed the early treatment necessary to overcome many obstacles in life that come with the disorder.
"It's crucial in this fight that we catch them early. We're just starting to understand and come to the realization that for Logan it might be past that point. But we're willing to fight for all the children that are coming up," says Espinoza.
State representatives sponsoring the legislation say, though autism treatment would increase insurance rates, a person with untreated autism costs the state more than 3 million dollars over a lifetime. © Copyright 2012, MPRN
