Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Autism Therapy Bill Passes Senate Committee, But May Not Advance

Alabama State House
Alabama House of Representatives

A bill requiring insurance companies in the state to pay for autism therapy has passed the Senate budget committee. But the committee chairman is threatening not to advance the bill, as he continues negotiations.

Yesterday, the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee voted 14 to 2 approving a bill that would require insurers to cover applied behavioral analysis therapy. It’s an intensive – and expensive – therapy for children with autism. But Committee Chairman Trip Pittman says he “might not” send the bill to the Senate floor as he continues negotiations. Pittman says he has concerns about the cost of coverage for insurance plans funded by state taxpayers.

As chairman, Pittman has to sign the committee report. Senators Cam Ward and Tom Whatley, both supporters of the bill, have threatened to halt Senate business if Pittman refuses to report it.

Parents of children with autism have been fighting for the coverage for years, but insurers and business groups have opposed a mandate. Recently, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama announced they would cover the therapy under certain plans without a mandate.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.