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

Families of children living with autism rally at Capitol

HARRISBURG, June 25 – A measure advocated by Speaker Dennis O’Brien to require private insurance companies to offer coverage of autism-related health services received impassioned support at a rally in the Capitol.

The House is poised to vote this week on Senate Bill 550, which the Insurance Committee amended last week to include O’Brien’s language requiring fair treatment by insurance companies for patients living with autism.

“This is, quite simply, an issue of civil rights for thousands of Pennsylvanians,” O’Brien said. “It’s a matter of justice.”

Showing bipartisan support, the Democratic and Republican chairmen of the House Insurance Committee both stood at O’Brien’s side at the rally along with 22 other lawmakers and dozens of families from around Pennsylvania.

U.S. Sen. Robert Casey arrived during the rally and spoke briefly to add his support for passing the legislation in Pennsylvania.

“When there’s a barrier in the way of insurance coverage, we should do everything we can to remove that barrier,” Casey said.

Sen. Jane Orie of Allegheny County praised O’Brien’s leadership on the autism issue. She said Pennsylvania’s academic researchers have put the state in position to be the national leader in developing effective treatments.

O’Brien’s measure would improve insurance industry fairness in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by requiring private insurers to cover up to $36,000 per year for autism services. This in turn would save state taxpayers millions of dollars that are now paid from the Medical Assistance program.

Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman said private insurers have avoided bearing a large share of the cost of autism by disputing whether it is a medical condition.

“Autism is a medical condition with a neurological basis,” Richman said. “The earlier that autism spectrum disorders can be diagnosed, the better.”

“The autism avalanche is upon us,” O’Brien said, “but we will not let it bury us.”

During his remarks, O’Brien was joined by Gabriel Craig, a youngster from Northampton County. O’Brien said Gabriel, his parents Philip and Dawn, and his siblings “put a face on the facts. They talked about the stress, the cost, the closed doors, the reality of discrimination, and the love that would not yield.”

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The fight against autism spectrum disorders has been a top legislative priority of O’Brien for many years. When he became Speaker in January, he made a commitment to use his increased visibility to help children and young adults with disabilities.

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