Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to be covered under new health care reform

While I have not been a real fan of the new health care reforms in general, but consider me officially bought off and my change of mind paid for if it pays for ABA therapy and solves the pre-existing conditions dilemma, which it does according to the Autism Society. That alone would be a MASSIVE benefit for kids with autism, as well as their parent's pocketbook. While maybe not all, this coverage will make the difference in deciding whether a lot of these kids grow up to be productive tax paying citizens themselves or supported by the government. (I will still have to see it to believe it that the default insurance company position on ABA will be changing from a Default No / Jump thru these 10,000 hoops approach to a Default / Yes / Paid position.)

Any one of the following items could have huge impact on my family and my daughter's future.

• Insurers would be prohibited from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions;


• Insurers would be prevented from selectively refusing to renew coverage;


• A standardized annual out-of-pocket spending limit would be established so that no family would face bankruptcy due to medical expenses;


• Annual and lifetime benefit caps would be prohibited;


• Coverage of “behavioral health treatments” such as ABA therapy, would be required.