This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
To its credit, the Legislature has launched a pilot program to pay for services to children ages 2-6 who suffer from autism. Given the rise in autism cases in Utah, this program is only a beginning, but it is at least that.
According to a credible study that came out in 2007, about 1 in 77 Utah children who were 8 years old that year suffered from an autism spectrum disorder. Looked at another way, that amounts to about two children born each day. The disorder seems to be rising in the state, but no one is certain why.
Autism is a developmental disorder. Its victims have great difficulty speaking or don't speak at all. They don't form relationships with other people. They fail to make eye contact or to interact socially. It appears in early childhood, so much so that many pediatricians now recommend that children be screened for the disorder by the age of 3.
Autism often is debilitating for both its victims and their families. When behavioral therapy can be found, it is expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Previous attempts to mandate insurance coverage for the disorder in Utah were defeated in the Legislature, partly due to complaints by insurance companies.
Enter Rep. Ronda Menlove, R-Garland, who sponsored HB272. Originally it would have mandated that insurance companies provide coverage, including behavioral therapy. But after long and treacherous negotiations, the bill was amended to create a pilot program over the next two years that would seek a Medicaid waiver to provide coverage for some poor children. In addition, some children of state workers would become eligible for coverage under the insurance program for public employees. Some insurance companies and at least one bank have pledged donations to help finance the pilot program. In all, some 350 children would be helped.
The maximum benefit per year would be $30,000. Parents would pay $250 initially and 20 percent of costs thereafter. The program would pay 80 percent. The net impact of the program in the first year would be $7.5 million, with $3 million coming from state general funds.
While we applaud this effort, we also believe that it illustrates, once again, the need for single-payer, universal health care supported by taxes. This pilot program, a piecemeal tinkering with a broken system, is not the answer. Doctors know that early diagnosis and robust intervention help children who suffer from autism. What we need is a reliable, efficient way to pay for it. There are more equitable ways for society to share these burdens.