Office of Speaker Dennis M. O’Brien

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

139 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACT:  Bill Patton

                                                                                                                       717-787-4610

Autism insurance bill to get further review

HARRISBURG, Jan. 28 – House Speaker Dennis O’Brien is hailing the decision by a state agency to seek an independent review of his proposal to require private insurers to cover autism diagnosis and intervention.

“One of my highest priorities as a legislator is to end the discrimination that families of loved ones diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder often experience at the hands of insurance companies,” O’Brien said. “The House already passed this bill and now it’s up to the Senate to act.”

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) was asked last year by Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman Don White to review detailed submissions from insurers, health providers and the general public about the benefits of requiring that autism coverage be included in insurance polices.

Sen. White requested the council’s input to help his committee in considering House Bill 1150, which the House passed unanimously in July.

O’Brien and other advocates in the autism community worked together to submit detailed information to PHC4 in October showing the considerable benefits for consumers and employers of requiring autism insurance coverage.

On Jan. 10, PHC4 accepted the recommendation of its Mandated Benefits Committee and voted to establish an independent review panel to evaluate the extremely large volume of information. The council then published a formal Request For Proposals seeking interested firms, research institutions, or other organizations to provide a panel of senior researchers.

“This is the first time in 10 years that PHC4 has gone this extra step,” O’Brien said. “It demonstrates both the wealth of information about the benefits of early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and the keen interest that thousands of Pennsylvania families have in obtaining fair insurance coverage that meets their needs.”

O’Brien noted that there’s nothing to stop the Senate from moving ahead and approving the autism insurance bill before the independent review panel has completed its study. This happened in 1998, the last time PHC4 established such a panel.

“I’m working with advocates from all over Pennsylvania to help lay out the facts and educate people about the need for an autism insurance law,” he said. “If we can succeed in making that case without the need for this additional study by outside experts, then we can move forward quicker and with less expense. Either way, it’s clear that the data supports the need for this legislation.”

Interested firms, research institutions, or other organizations wishing to be considered to form the review panel should submit a proposal to PHC4 by 5 p.m. on Feb. 26.

Copies of the proposal specifications are available by contacting the Health Care Cost Containment Council, Suite 400, 225 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, or by calling or e-mailing Cherie Elias at (717) 232-6787 or celias@phc4.org.

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