By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-927685.mp3
LANSING, MI –
A state Senate panel is in the final stages of preparing a report on whether the state should require insurers to cover autism treatments. As Michigan Public Radio's Laura Weber reports, autism coverage is a long-fought battle for some lawmakers and advocates who want to approve a measure before they leave office at the end of the year.
AUDIO:
Lorri Unumb is with the advocacy group Autism Speaks, and she's mother of a 9-year-old child with autism. She's from South Carolina, which is one of a couple dozen states that require insurers to offer coverage of autism treatments for children. And she says the cost to the state has been way below original estimates.
"And the impact on premiums has been negligible," she says. "I know that cost is an issue. Cost is a big issue these days."
Unumb has made a few trips to Michigan to try to persuade lawmakers to take up similar legislation. The lawmakers spearheading the effort only have a few months left in office. The state Senate panel held its final public hearing on the issue, and lawmakers may have a better chance to win approval of the bill after the November elections.