Editorial: Autism Bill Can Be Better

Interesting editorial from Newsday on the Senate's Autism Insurance Bill. Giving you the full editorial in case you can't access.

Autism spectrum disorders affect one in 110 children, but no one really knows the cause or causes. That's just one of many areas of disagreement among advocates for those with autism, but they agree on the need to find causes and cures, and to identify and pay for effective treatments.
If unanimity on some issues is hard to find in the autism community, unanimity on controversial bills is also rare in the New York State Senate. Still, the Senate has passed an autism insurance bill without a single dissenting vote. But many in the autism community say: Not so fast. We agree.
The bill the Senate passed June 9, sponsored by Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Delmar), aims to clarify the scope of coverage that insurance companies will provide. It requires the health commissioner, with three other agencies, to decide which treatments are evidence-based and clinically proven.
There's wide agreement on parts of Breslin's bill. But many autism groups think it unfairly sets up a treatment review process that doesn't exist for other illnesses. And they fear insurers might game the regulatory process to narrow, not expand, the accepted treatments. They favor a simpler bill that specifically lists the treatments. But it's stuck in an Assembly committee.
Before the legislature goes home, it should find what's best in both bills and pass one that will really help parents and children cope with this still-mysterious disorder. Agreement will be difficult; failure is unacceptable.