On February 14, Autism News Direct reported that the Arizona Autism Insurance Billhad passed its first hurdle by making it out of committee.  I am happy to report that as of this week, a little over 30 days from moving out of committee, the Arizona Autism Insurance Bill has been passed and signed into law by Governor Janet Napolitano.  This piece of legislation did not have its adversaries.  Insurance companies, small business owners, corporations, and even the Arizona Chamber of Commerce opposed the initial wording of the bill.  The claims were made that insurance premiums would increase across the state if this legislation were to be enacted and that some companies would no longer be able to offer insurance coverage as a result of the bill. 

There are some specific mandates that were written into the bill.  These include a limit of the requirement to employer-purchased plans in firms with more than 50 employees, a cap of $50,000 per year for children through age eight and a cap of $25,000 per year for children aged nine through 16.  An important part of this legislation is that it will cover children with Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS in addition to autistic disorder.  Currently, the State of Arizona’s Department of Developmental Disabilities provides no funding for children with Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS leaving their parents to foot the hefty bills for therapy and other interventions.