Autism Legislation

Excerpts from the Paper

Autism Legislation
Insurers and health plans have typically required higher patient cost sharing and more restrictive coverage limitations to mental health or substance abuse services as compared to physical health services. Included among these are services related to the treatment of autism. Many states have enacted laws requiring the providers of insurance benefits for mental health services to offer coverage on a par, to some extent, with benefits for physical health problems. This trend toward mental health "parity" was spurred by the 1996 enactment of the federal Mental Health Parity Act. In addition, on October 3, 2008, The Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 was signed into law as part...

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