Editorials Encourage Governor to Sign

Governor should support coverage for autistic children
Bill would provide needed therapy for young people up to $50,000 a yearPublished: Tuesday,

May 29, 2007 - 2:00 am

State lawmakers approved a bill that would require private insurance to cover treatment for autistic children. Gov. Sanford should sign the bill.

A spokesman for the governor on Friday said the bill had not yet reached Sanford for his review. In the past, however, Sanford has been reluctant to impose mandates on the insurance industry. The hope among advocates is that he will set aside his personal misgivings and approve this needed legislation.

In 2005, a similar situation arose: Sanford, despite his reservations, allowed a bill to become law that required many private health plans to provide greater coverage for serious mental illness. Sanford refused to sign the bill but neither did he veto it, and by his passive support it became law.

The current autism bill is equally worthwhile. Autism, a disease that can severely impair a young person's ability to communicate, form relationships and adapt to change, is the only neurological disorder not required to be covered by private insurance in South Carolina. The bill would require insurance to pay for treatment for children, age 16 and under, up to a maximum of $50,000 a year beginning in July 2008.

In South Carolina, about 2,000 children under 18 have autism. Advocates argue that early intensive therapy can do wonders for some autistic children. Advocates say that about half of children who get at least 40 hours of therapy a week can enter the first grade on time. Another 40 percent make considerable progress, they say.
But that therapy can cost up to $75,000 a year, putting it out of reach of many families with autistic children. Advocates say families across this state are forced to get second mortgages on their homes or face bankruptcy trying to provide the intervention their children need. Or they face the heart-wrenching experience of placing their children in group homes or institutions -- although there's often a 15-year waiting list for such institutions.

Even though therapy may be costly for insurers, it could save the state considerable sums in the future. An autistic child who receives insufficient treatment sometimes can end up being cared for in an institution at taxpayer expense. That can cost the state $4 million to $7 million for each patient.

Compassionate consideration for children suffering from autism helped persuade state lawmakers to follow the lead of at least 17 other states that require coverage. Early intervention for children also may save the state millions of dollars in the future. Gov. Sanford should sign the bill and give autistic children the opportunity to lead more productive and perhaps even more fulfilling lives.