Urge Gov. Cuomo to sign the landmark Autism Health Insurance Bill

Good News. (Friday, 24 June 2011)

Both the houses of the New York State Legislature have passed the Autism Health Insurance Bills. (S4005A and A6305A). Now it is upto Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign them into law.

The bills require insurance companies to provide coverage for screening and treating people with autism spectrum disorders, with methods including behavioral health treatments as well as speech, occupational and physical therapy.

Twenty-five other states already have a similar requirement for insurers.

Please call Gov. Andrew Cuomo (518-474-8390 )today and urge him to sign S4005A and A6305A into Law. Thank You.


Khalid Rehman. MD
Awareness and Advocacy Committee, NY Metro Chapter, NAA.

"Mom's Night Event"

Calling All Moms!!!

NAA NY Metro Chapter is throwing a "Moms' Night" event this Thursday evening to celebrate each and every one of you special moms for all your hard work. Please come out to enjoy a glass of wine, try some food from different special diets, exchange treatment options and ideas with other moms or just meet some new and interesting people. There will be a raffle and giveaways! The Moms' Night event takes place Thursday, June 9th 7-9pm at 408 East 79th Street, 2nd floor

Support Bills in Albany, NY: Autism Health Insurance Bills. A6305/S4005.

These bills are currently making their way through various committees in Albany, NY. The sponsors of these bills need to hear from every family affected by Autism with words of thanks and call or connect via fax or e-mail their own representatives to become co-sponsors of these bills.

The assembly bill A6305 and its sister bill in the N.Y. State Senate S4005 relate to coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. It will cover speech, occupational and physical therapies, which are specifically identified in the bill so there is no mystery. It will cover behavioral therapies including ABA. It will cover rehabilitative and habilitative care. It doesn’t force treatments for autism to meet a much higher standard for efficacy than other treatments; in fact. It applies the exact same efficacy standards that are used for all other health care. There is no lifetime or annual caps. There are no age limits. It will cover assistive technology, and psychological and psychiatric care. This is the kind of bill that can make a substantial improvement in the quality and quantity of care available to people with autism. And it will prevent families from going broke caring for their kids. This bill sets a new standard for autism health care that hopefully other states and the federal government will emulate once we get it passed here in NY.

As the legislative session is coming to a close, amendments have been proposed that significantly reduce the scope of the coverage offered in the autism health insurance reform bill currently moving, A6305/S4005. ST, OT and PT are limited to policies that already offer it, and existing limits on the number of sessions for those therapies will remain. Every one affected is urged to contact the sponsors noted below and ask that no amendments be allowed and that the bills are introduced and passed as written. Please contact:

Justin Wilcox In Morelle's office: 518 455 5647 (Assembly sponsor)
Tim Ellis in Fuschillo's office: 516 455 3341 (Senate sponsor)
Chris Hamm in Silver's office: 518 45 3791 (Assembly Speaker)

Support Bills in US Congress: ‘The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011’ (S-1094/ HR-2005)

These bills are currently making their way through various committees in Washington DC. The sponsors of these bills need to hear from every family affected by Autism with words of thanks and call or connect via fax or e-mail their own representatives to become co-sponsors of these bills.

The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA) of 2011 introduced in the Senate (S-1094) by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) and in the House (HR-2005) by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) in May 2011. S-1094 referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; HR 2005 referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The new bill reauthorizes the Combating Autism Act of 2006 (CAA), which has played a critical role in advancing autism research and treatment. The original CAA, set to sunset on September 30, 2011, expanded federal investment for autism research through NIH, increased services, diagnosis and treatment through HRSA, and enhanced surveillance and awareness efforts by the CDC. The CAA authorized nearly $1 billion in federal research spending over five years—increasing autism research spending by almost 50 percent. This research has led to improved understanding of the causes of autism and has helped us begin to develop new interventions. Additionally, the research funded through CAA has increased the ability of professionals to more properly screen, diagnose, and treat individuals with autism. The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act of 2011 ensures that the programs established under the original law continue for an additional three years, including CDC surveillance programs, HRSA intervention and training programs, and the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).