LANSING -- Legislation that would require insurers to cover autism treatments unfairly singles out one condition, says a coalition that wants coverage for all mental health issues.
Gov. Rick Snyder, who backs the autism legislation, and lawmakers are being urged today to adopt a state law that would improve insurance coverage for all neuropsychiatric disorders, including mental illness, addiction, autism and developmental disorders.
“Autism certainly ought to be covered. That’s not the argument,” said Michael Reagan, external relations officer of Cherry Street Health Services in Grand Rapids. “There are other neuropsychiatric disorders that can be just as debilitating and cause just as much of a problem as autism.”
“The governor and Senate leaders have announced a course that is discriminatory, stigmatizing, and problematic for the state,” said Mark Reinstein, president of the Mental Health Association in Michigan. He said the coalition supports a bill introduced by state Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, which assures equal coverage for all neuropsychiatric disorders when employers choose to include behavioral health coverage in their policies.
Michigan is one of only seven states that does not have parity legislation requiring insurers to provide the same coverage for mental disorders as for physical illness, says Michigan Partners for Parity, a coalition of 60 organizations.
Patients seeking health care for an addiction, a mental illness or a developmental disorder should have equal access to treatment and equal copays and deductibles as patients who have diabetes or heart disease, Reagan said.
“It’s time we stopped discriminating against people who have these disorders,” he said. “It further stigmatizes individuals and families who might have a problem experiencing one of these disorders.”
The legislation, even in terms of how it addresses autism treatments, is too narrow and specific, says Dr. Lia Gaggino, a Kalamazoo pediatrician and president-elect of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
It requires coverage for applied behavioral therapy, an intensive and expensive treatment that has been shown to bring about dramatic improvements. But the bill does not address the possibility of other treatments developing that could provide better results or that fit children with different needs, she said.
It also does not extend to other psychiatric problems that might occur with autism, such as anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.
“We would completely support adequate and comprehensive evaluation and treatment of autism,” Gaggino said. “I think there’s a lot more than just autism (that needs coverage).”
Depression, anxiety and eating disorders cause serious problems for many young people, but many are unable to get adequate treatment because their parents can’t afford to pay for it. Gaggino said untreated mental health conditions often play a role in the top three causes of deaths for teens: accidents, homicide and suicide.
For children and adults, a lack of treatment has a profound effect on quality of life, future medical costs and even longevity, Reagan said. On average, people who have substance abuse or mental disorders die 20 years earlier.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, whose daughter has autism, has pushed hard for several years for legislation requiring autism coverage.
Opponents include the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which objects to health care mandates and argues that employers and employees should choose the coverage they want.
Calley and other advocates argue that early treatment for autism saves money in the long run, reducing or eliminating the need for long-term care. Snyder has joined the effort, calling on lawmakers to pass the legislation.
The mental health coalition fighting for parity legislation say the same cost-saving arguments apply to other neurospsychiatric disorders, which affect 20 to 25 percent of all people, Reagan said.
“It makes good health care sense, in terms of saving dollars and saving lives,” he said.
In states with parity legislation and for federal employees who receive full coverage, the short-term costs are typically 1 to 2 percent higher, Reagan said.
In the long term, “it improves quality of life, it improves productivity at work and it improves the ability to function in healthy ways with their family,” he said.
Email Sue Thoms at sthoms1@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/suethoms
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All mental health disorders should get insurance coverage, not just autism, coalition says