Insurance Coverage for Behavioral Services for Children with Autism

By AmyShymansky on October 24th, 2009

Many state and federal initiatives are in place to end insurance discrimination for families with children with autism. The following link shares current information on your states current and pending legislation as well as prospective federal legislations.

http://www.autismvotes.org/site/c.frKNI3PCImE/b.3909861/k.B9DF/State_Initiatives.htm

Even if your state has laws in place to mandate insurance coverage for children with autism the process of getting services covered can be involved.

Below are some suggestions for simplifying the process:

1) Find a primary care physician who is supportive and understands the benefits of behavioral interventions for your child.

2) Contact your insurance company to find providers in your area, develop an understanding of the provider approval process.

3) Be persistent! Many insurance companies are just beginning to identify providers for these services.  Find people within your insurance company who can answer your questions related to obtaining coverage. If necessary, identify billing codes to share with your insurance company related to your requested behavioral services to assist in quickly communicating your families needs.

Check out this link as an additional resource to assist in the process of obtaining insurance coverage for your child:

http://www.insurancehelpforautism.com/index.html

http://blog.skillsprout.com/teaching-conversation-to-children-with-autism/insurance-coverage-for-behavioral-services-for-children-with-autism/