autism speaks; just another entitlement trap ??

While traveling around OK I've heard this commercial for a bill known as Nick's Law which according to autism speaks is bottled up in committee in the state legislature. The commercial leads everyone to believe that without the passage of this bill the EVIL, rich insurance companies will NOT cover any expenses related to autism. Insurance companies just like any other corporation has government mandates which REQUIRE certain things be covered as part of their contract, just like you have state minimums with auto insurance.

I happen to have a very close dear person that I'm acquainted with that works for one of the largest insurance companies so I asked about this piece of legislation and why it is that the insurance companies won't cover associated cost with autism. Many of these *drugs* are still considered experimental by the insurance companies and based on the track record of the FDA I can't blame them a bit.


You can CHOSE to purchase upgraded insurance which will cover you in case of accident, theft, fire and just about anything you can think of, of course it is going to cost you more money. Health insurance is much the same there is a basic plan with upgrades that are available for more money.

Of course what Nick's law requires is that autism be included in EVERY policy which limits the cost for those that actually need that type of coverage and increases the cost for those that don't require that type of coverage. The argument is that the rates won't be raised by that much so therefore we MUST do it immediately. Like a friend of mine likes to point out, when exactly is "not that much" going to be too much. A penny here and a penny there eventually adds up to REAL money.

The problem isn't always what it appears to be and in this instance I hope the state makes the CORRECT decision which is not more government involvement. Absolutely nothing prevents these people from paying and receiving services based upon the contracts they sign. Finding a company that is going to place themselves into the proposition of losing much money is another story all together.

Just a thought, I wonder if the insurance companies might be willing to provide autism coverage if it wasn't listed in the mental illness category.