Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell Law Requiring Private Health Insurers To Cover Treatment for Autism

 A bill recently signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) will require private health insurance companies in the state to provide diagnosis and treatment coverage of up to $36,000 per year for residents under age 21 with autism spectrum disorder, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The law, which is scheduled to take effect in July 2009, also requires insurers to provide coverage for applied behavioral analysis therapy that experts say is a key element in treatment of the disorder.Patients needing treatments that exceed the $36,000 limit will be eligible for state Medicaid reimbursements to cover the extra expense. Health plans that provide coverage to businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be exempt from the new law.
Currently, children with autism can enroll in the state’s Medicaid program, which is managed by the Department of Public Welfare and spends about $185 million annually on medical-assistance programs for residents under age 21 with autism, the Inquirer reports. Under the new law, those children would be transferred from the Medicaid program into private health plans that could reduce state spending by about $13 million in the first year after it is implemented, according to the Inquirer.

read_more: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=53513

Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee McCain Discusses Cancer Issues at Ohio Event

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Thursday discussed issues related to cancer at a town hall meeting in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by cyclist and testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, the Los Angeles Times reports.
During the event, McCain, a melanoma survivor, said, “I was in a battle with melanoma. And I know … somewhat, at least to a small degree, how tough that battle can be. And yes, I’ve become a fanatic. Yes, I admit it. When I see a woman with a child in the sun, I go over and say, ‘Get sunscreen on that child, please.’” McCain, a former smoker, also criticized tobacco industry lobbyists.
According to the Times, “McCain’s appearance at the summit was widely panned by liberal groups that have criticized his health insurance plan, which some independent analysts say could make it more difficult for people with health problems to find coverage.” McCain has proposed to replace a tax break for employees who receive health insurance from employers with a refundable tax credit of as much as $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase private coverage, and critics maintain that the plan “might impose hardships on cancer survivors, for example, because insurance companies might balk at covering people with pre-existing conditions,” the Times reports.

read_more: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/health2008dr.cfm?DR_ID=53511