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| HMSA (Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Hawaii) lobbied heavily against the bill. |
Special
interests, read the health insurance lobby, once more prevailed and Hawaii’s
bill to require health insurers to cover autism was again defeated—this despite
strong support from both houses. In the end, for a second time, Senator David
Ige was the key to the bill’s defeat.
 |
| Senator Ige, gubernatorial hopeful...seeking campaign contributions from HMSA? |
Similar
legislation has now been passed in 36 states, and we thought Hawaii was
positioned to become number 37. There was compelling testimony about the burden
of paying for therapy that families must shoulder on their own; we heard from
families who sold their homes and cashed in their retirement accounts to pay
for ABA therapy.
Obviously Senator
Ige does not have the interests of Hawaii’s families at heart. Being an island
state, relocating somewhere that has autism insurance reform is not as easy as
crossing state lines. Our families have to make an overseas move and leave
behind their extended family and friends—their support system—to help their children.
It is
particularly sad that Senator Ige is so short-sighted and cares more about the
support of the health insurance industry. I’m sure he would say he’s concerned
about the cost to the State by enacting this legislation; however, the cost
associated with this type of legislation is not theoretical any longer. Data
collected from other states that have autism health insurance reform show cost
savings to the states and the cost impact to health insurance premiums averages
31¢ per month per insured.
Senator Ige knows
these figures. His “compromise” position was to pay for another independent
actuarial study—one was done this year already. As he diddles around, more
children will see their potential extinguished by not getting the treatment
they need while young.
 |
| Children with autism are being left behind...being failed by politics and Senator Ige. |
The cost of
not treating these children is staggering. Dr. David Fray, Chief of the Department of
Developmental Disabilities at the Hawaii Department of Health testified that the
state pays $200,000 to $900,000 PER YEAR to care for EACH of the 360 adults
with autism that receive services through the state. That’s your taxpayer
dollars and as the population of autistic children continues to grow, so too
will the public contribution to care for them as they reach adulthood.
 |
| Wasted tax dollars and wasted potential for autistic children. |
A reasonable
question is, “Why are the insurance companies the only ones getting a pass?”
Families, our school systems, and taxpayers carry this burden. It isn't fair and it doesn't make sense.
Families do the right thing and purchase health insurance for just this sort of
medical catastrophe, only to find coverage for their autistic child is denied.
To be clear, autism is a medical condition, yet for some reason we place the
burden of providing therapy to autistic students, solely on the school system.
Have you ever
wondered if it makes sense to have our public schools, which were designed to
educate the masses, redirect their scarce resources from general education
programs to provide intensive one-on-one therapy for autistic children? How has it
become the schools’ exclusive domain to provide treatment for a medical
condition?
Although
there is no doubt about the morality or just basic decency of requiring health
insurance coverage for autism, it also makes economic sense. Children who are treated when they are young
often make great strides to independence and require little to no additional
services as they reach adulthood. Doesn’t it make more sense to help these kids
now?
 |
| Senator Ige does not care about Hawaii's ohana... |
Senator Ige doesn't think so. He thinks having the support of the powerful insurance lobby is more important for this campaign to be our state's next governor.
The
prevalence of autism continues to grow, so much so that nearly everyone knows a
family or someone affected by autism—this is especially true in Hawaii where we
inhabit the same small land mass.
Senator Ige—the
autism community will not forget you and your indifference to our ohana.
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