Senators say they have autism insurance compromise

May 16--Senators said Tuesday they had a compromise on a bill that would require insurers to cover autism therapies, though the time for a vote was unclear.

Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said Tuesday the Senate would consider a bill that would require private insurers to provide a sliding scale of coverage, based on age, while retaining an exemption for small businesses. Senators would vote on amendments that could end coverage requirements for those 18 and older.

Leaders expected to have a vote Wednesday, but Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said Tuesday that it "doesn't hurt to have it a day early."

"It's a good bill," he said. "I think we're going to end up on a good piece of legislation."

But Ward, who opposes the age caps, said he would move to carry the bill over until Wednesday, saying that autism advocates -- a common sight in the Alabama State House in recent weeks -- wanted to be present for the votes on the age caps.

"They don't want age caps," Ward said. "They feel like being in the building looking at their senators face to face makes it much harder to vote for age caps."

Alabama is one of a handful of states that does not require insurers to cover autism therapies. Parents can pay for the therapies -- which can cost up to $120 an hour -- out of pocket, and critics say the approach prevents children from getting the therapies in their preschools years, when it can be the most effective. The state's public schools have increasingly been tasked with the costs of the therapies for their children.

The bill passed the Alabama House of Representatives 100 to 0 in April but has had a much more difficult time in the Senate, where it languished for more than a week before going to the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee.

In a committee meeting last week, Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, added amendments that exempted businesses with 50 employees or less and cut off coverage for those 16 and older. Pittman then threatened to keep the bill in committee to get more changes, which threatened to derail the remainder of the session. Supporters accused Pittman of trying to delay the bill through amendments; Pittman said he was trying to protect the state's public insurers -- the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Program (PEEHIP); the State Employees Health Insurance Program (SEHIP); Medicaid and AllKids from budget shortfall.

The bill was reported out last week. Ward said the proposed substitute would mandate private insurers provide autism therapy coverage immediately, but delay coverage by PEEHIP, SEHIP, Medicaid and AllKids until Oct. 1, 2018, the start of the 2019 fiscal year.

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