By Sam Mattison
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama Football’s Head Coach Nick Saban announced on Tuesday his support for an Alabama House bill involving Autism Spectrum Disorder insurance reform in a letter written to the legislature from him and his wife, Terry Saban.
“We wholeheartedly join the Autism Society of Alabama and autism families in their campaign to secure life-altering therapies for these valuable Alabama youth and adults,” the letter said.
Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) is a collection of developmental disorders that causes communication, social interactions and behavioral challenges according to the Center for Disease Control’s website. If left untreated, it could cause major developmental issues for children.
In a national survey conducted by the CDC, 1 in 175 children who were eight years old in Alabama were diagnosed with ASD. The national average of ADS for eight year olds is 1 in 65. Alabama had the lowest rate of all the states surveyed. While Alabama may have had the lowest rates of ASD diagnoses, ASD is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the country. There is no cure for ASD.
Under current law, healthcare benefits are only required to be given to children nine and under by healthcare providers. House Bill 284 would extend healthcare benefits to all insurers who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder under certain insurance plans and contracts.
According to the Autism Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to autism awareness, costs of healthcare for autism patients costs the United States $236 billion to $262 billion a year. Out of these costs, the most came from adult care.
The bill would also require an annual report by the Department of Insurance on how much it cost to provide treatment for ADS patients.
The bill is currently under committee review by the House Committee on Health.
