A new bill was passed in New York this November mandating that health insurers
must provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism
spectrum disorders. The law, set to be effective November 1, 2012, hopes
to save tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for families with autistic
children and to assist the 30,000 kids in the state with autism. Some
New York health insurers project that the plan will be very costly, pricing
out some employers and families from the health insurance market altogether.
Conversely, the advocacy group Autism Speaks believes this bill may be
able to save taxpayers $13 million dollars over six years through reduced
costs for Medicaid and the costs of special education programs for autistic children.