Rumors with misinformation about Indiana's Autism Insurance Mandate have been circulating via the Internet. The Autism Society of Indiana is distributing this message to our email subscribers in an attempt to clear up the confusion.

The law itself has not been changed, and there are no changes pending at this time. The Indiana Department of Insurance's interpretation of the law changed around 2003, when the new administration appointed a new Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners. Some insurers had not caught up with the 2003 change in interpretation until last year, and some families appear to have been told in error that the law had changed to explain their insurer's change in payment policy.

Per Bulletin 136, which was widely distributed, the insurer may place visit limits on SLP services, PT and OT -- but NOT Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy or Intensive Behavioral Treatment -- IF the insurer places visit limitations on these services for physical illnesses. If the insurer offers extensions of benefits to patients with physical illnesses who apply for an extension beyond the plans limits, based upon medical necessity, then they must also offer this to autism patients. We strongly encourage all families to carefully plan their therapy schedules to accommodate this, and also to carefully document any and all regression related to the end of their benefits. If the child regresses in areas that were addressed by the therapy, they should file for an extension based upon medical necessity.

For more information on the Autism Mandate, see "Insurance Mandate for Autism Spectrum Disorders Under Indiana State Law" on the Indiana Resource Center for Autism's Web site, here:

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/ServArticles/INhealthInsurance.html

The full text of Bulletin 136 is available for downloading from the Autism Society of Indiana's Web site, on the "Legislative Issues" page under the heading "Insurance Mandate in Indiana":

Autism Society of Indiana  |  www.inautism.org  |  info@...

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Disclaimer: All information provided by or published by the Autism Society

of Indiana (ASI) is for informational purposes only. Reference to any treatment

or therapy option or to any program, service, provider, product or event is not

an endorsement by ASI of the treatment or therapy option, program, service,

provider, product or event referenced. Further, references to treatment or

therapy options, programs, services, providers, products or events are not

intended to be comprehensive statements of available options, programs,

services, providers, products or events. ASI assumes no responsibility for

the use made of any information published or provided by ASI.

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