** Attend the February 28th Autism Advocacy Kick Off Event and get a chance to win a Kindle Fire!!!
From one parent to another…
Autism
is treatable, so let’s help.
Autism
is no longer a "rare disorder". It is estimated that nearly 1% of the
population is now being diagnosed. That is 1 in 110 children, and 1
in 70 boys. Let’s compare this to other childhood illnesses:
1
in 400 Type 1 Diabetes
1
in 2000 Childhood Cancer
1
in 3500 Cystic Fibrosis
There
are now more children being diagnosed with Autism than AIDS,
diabetes, and cancer combined. It is not just the parent’s problem
anymore; it is going to be a societal issue going forward. It is
everybody’s issue.
We
are working hard to increase affordable access to health care
coverage for medically necessary care for all individuals who have
autism. We believe that: individuals who have autism need options for
treatment, therapy and services; families need more information about
options for treatment, therapy and services; and, that these options
must be more affordable.
I
need help from parents, caregivers, service providers, and educators!
You cannot be too busy, our autistic children, adults and the community are about
to lose everything! We have support from Autism Speaks, The Arc
Greater Twin Cities, and the Autism Advocacy and Law Center, but I
need your support, yes that means you, to make this happen.
The
legislative session began January 24th, and the autism community has
a lot to be concerned about. Children who have autism and who are in
need of intensive early intervention behavior therapy (known as IEIBT
and also sometimes referred to as ABA therapy) are facing cuts in
coverage by BCBS, and uncertainty in coverage from public healthcare
programs. It is now impossible to go to the private marketplace and
obtain a health insurance policy that covers medically necessary,
evidence-based treatment for children who have autism. BCBS has
announced that it will change its health insurance plans during the
coming year to exclude IEIBT and ABA therapy from coverage. It has
been reported that these changes will immediately affect at least 200
children in Minnesota.
Children
who have autism enrolled in Medical Assistance have experienced
upheaval and uncertainty during the past year as DHS has repeatedly
denied, reduced, and delayed coverage for intensive early
intervention behavior therapy. Through multiple advocacy efforts,
including the voices of parents who are passionately concerned about
the future of their children, we have been able to convince DHS to
maintain current levels of coverage for medically necessary
treatment.
Our
challenge is to convince as many parents, caregivers, service
providers and educators as possible to contact their legislators and
share their story about how IEIBT is helping their child or children
they know or have worked with. We need people to call, write, email,
and visit in-person with their legislators and ask for their support
in creating affordable access to health care for individuals
who have autism and need treatment, therapy and services.
Please join US and
let’s make a difference together. We cannot do it alone.
Kindest Regards,
Sheri Radoux
sheri182002@yahoo.com
Parent of three kids
with Autism
Pia Prenevost
pia.prenevost@gmail.com
Parent of one amazing boy with Autism
PS: We have supplied you with all you need to know about getting involved! Just click on the pages on the right hand side to get all the information you need to join us!!! And please join our Facebook Page to learn more!!
