One thing we absolutely must change in Washington is the pattern of neglecting problems until they become crises. We may have already missed that opportunity when it comes to addressing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
A recent estimate from the CDC that autism and related developmental conditions affect an astounding one out of every 100 of our eight year olds (up from one out of 150 just two years ago) simply emphasizes what we’ve long known: autism is a major challenge confronting our kids, families, schools and country.
Early and intensive therapy for autism is critical. According to studies done by the Harvard School of Public Health and the London School of Economics, autism in the United States costs $35 billion annually — 90 percent of which goes toward adult services. Proper therapy for children can allow as many as half of children with ASD to become more independent, helping them lead fuller lives and require less care as adults.
And yet, legislation I authored to increase funding for ASD treatment in the military’s health care program resulted in the first new federal funding for autism treatment in over 12 years — even though the prevalence of ASD has been growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year nationwide.
To tackle this challenge, we must change our approach to autism. Too often, it is considered solely an educational issue, not a health issue. For instance, even though ASD is more prevalent among military families, the military health care program, TRICARE, covers therapy for ASD through a small and under-utilized supplemental program, not as standard health care. That’s why I submitted an additional amendment to have accepted and medically necessary ASD treatment covered under behavioral health care in the basic TRICARE policy. This legislation passed the House, but was removed by the Senate in conference.
We will keep working. If successful, this change could contribute to a national model of treating ASD as a health issue as opposed to solely an educational one and could open the door to effective care for kids and families across the country.
The Senate, too often marked by inaction, must be more responsive to this issue. Both health care reform bills passed in Congress provide minimum required benefits for behavioral health care. At my and others’ urging, the House Education and Labor Committee issued a Committee Report clarifying that accepted and medically necessary ASD treatment qualifies as behavioral health care. The Senate has not provided similar assurance.
As the House and Senate work to reconcile their versions of health care reform, there will be a lot of attention — and deservedly so — on high-profile issues like the public option. As a member of the House Autism Caucus, I and others will also be working to make sure that this issue, so critical to so many of our families, is not overlooked.
Joe Sestak
Congressman