I’ve spent some time on this blog writing about autism, especially efforts by Democrats here in Wisconsin to mandate that health insurance companies provide coverage for behavioral therapy for autistic children, therapy which is not currently covered by any private health insurance offered by any insurer in the state of Wisconsin. Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin, including my Representative, Mark Honadel, have strongly opposed any efforts to make the mandate law, citing the high cost of a mandate. Cost estimates have placed the cost of an autism therapy mandate at roughly 10 million dollars, and while that’s a lot of money, in my opinion it would be money well spent.
After all, instead of spending 11 million dollars to reopen a paper mill in Park Falls and to buy a shiny new soybean crusher for Republican Rep. Brett Davis’ district. I know I’m biased, but if I had to choose between a government handout for a soybean crusher or providing health insurance coverage for behavioral therapy for autistic kids, I choose the therapy for autistic kids ten times out of ten.
Thankfully, Democratic lawmakers in Madison seem to appreciate the importance of providing health insurance coverage for autism behavioral therapy, and with a new majority in the State Assembly – to go along with a Democratic majority in the State Senate and a Democratic governor – that autism therapy insurance mandate could become a reality. I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of broad government mandates, but in this case I think a government mandate certainly seems warranted. No family that has their own health insurance should be forced to file and wait for Medicaid – or worse, to pay money out of their own pockets – just so their child can have the therapy that could dramatically improve that child’s life.
I just hope Democrats in Madison will take action on this issue sooner as opposed to later.
You know, as much as you libs seem to hate business, the fact is you need businesses around to pay for all the social programs you want to implement.
Sure you hate Exxon for “obscene profits,” but whatever they made it profits they pay three times as much in taxes.
I don’t hate business; I just think a little social responsibility would be nice. In the case of health insurance companies, I’d just like to see them think a little less about their healthy bottom lines and think a little more about the people they’re supposed to be helping.