MO House of Representatives:

2009 Interim Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders 

The Interim Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders will evaluate the impact Autism Spectrum Disorders have on the citizens of the State and will identify a solution that considers medical, educational, and insurance policies to improve the lives of families dealing with Autism.

LINK to House Info

LINK to House Media Coverage

UPDATE

 Update of the House Interim Committee on Autism
Nov 12, 2009 meeting

In attendance:  Chairman Rep. Dwight Sharnhorst, Rep. Wayne Cooper, Rep. Jeff Grisamore, Rep. Sue Allen, Rep. Sally Faith, Rep. Ron Casey, Rep. Mike Colona. Rep. Tishara Jones, Rep. Terry Witte,  Rep. Kratky
Not present:  Rep. Chris Molendorp, Rep. Gina Walsh, Rep. Denny Hoskins, Rep. Shelley Keeney


The House Interim Committee on Autism met on Thursday, Nov 12,  to discuss their findings and final report they intend to submit to the Speaker's Office.  They worked from a draft report written by House analyst.  The report talks about their reasons for convening and a recap of testimony.  The draft report discusses health insurance legislation which requires coverage of autism spectrum disorders and also notes the testimony from school districts and parents regarding autism in the schools.  The draft report suggests that legislation will be drafted, but in the content of this first draft, there is no specific recommendation for legislation regarding insurance.  There are two recommendations (listed as additional) that recommend work sessions to allow schools to share best practices and a study to identify disparities in diagnosis or treatment in minority populations.



The committee members after reviewing the draft discussed the report and are to submit their suggested revisions by Monday next week.  Discussions centered on autism insurance legislation, even though it is not specifically listed as a recommendation. The chairman stated his intention to file legislation and asked if others were intending to do so.  Rep. Sue Allen responded that it was her intention to file legislation regarding the credentialing of behavior therapy providers.  She listed several of her concerns in this area and her desire to ensure that all providers would meet certain professional standards.  

Rep. Jeff Grisamore agreed that they wanted to ensure qualified providers, but cautioned that we don't want to make restrictions too stringent that we limit access and there is shortage of providers.

Rep. Casey noted the need for older children and adults to access services and treatments, and committee discussion followed about age limitations on accessing therapies.

Rep. Cooper discussed previous testimony on ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) and the benefit to the committee's understanding of how the therapy is implemented.

Rep. Faith discussed the amount of therapy that could be scheduled due to time restraints of school-age children, and committee discussion followed noting the usual decrease in therapy time as the children get older, compared to initial early intervention programs.

There was also a brief discussion about cost of enacting insurance legislation, the draft report notes the estimated cost at approximately 1% increase in monthly premiums.  The Chairman noted the absence of opposition to insurance reform based upon overall cost, especially on behalf of the small business community.  There was discussion of what the definition of small business is and how health care costs rise annually, even in the absence of any mandates.

The committee chair requested that all suggested revisions to the report be submitted by Monday.  

No specific date for a finalized report was given.


These are unofficial notes taken by :  Ginger Luetkemeyer

Committee Members:

Scharnhorst, Dwight, Chair
Cooper, Robert Wayne, Vice Chair
Allen, Sue
Casey, Ron
Colona, Mike
Faith, Sally
Grisamore, Jeff
Hoskins, Denny
Jones, Tishaura
Keeney, Shelley
Kratky, Michele
Molendorp, Chris
Walsh, Regina
Witte, Terry L

Hearings were held:

Sept 15, 2009 (JC)

 Sept 28  2009 (St. L)

October 13, 2009 (KC)

Meeting:  November 12, 2009 (JC)