The Impact of HB 1588

How would the government benefit from HB 1588?

"Admittedly, in the near term, mandating this coverage could add slightly to the cost of health insurance in Virginia. But whatever the cost, and no one can say for certain what it will be, it pales by comparison with what it will be if we fail to invest now in early intervention services. Autistic children who receive insufficient treatment can sometimes end up being institutionalized at taxpayer expense, at costs in the millions for each patient,” said Delegate David E. Poisson.

The Autism Society of America estimates that the total lifetime cost of caring for an autistic child ranges from $3.5 to $5 million. The United States is spending almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

By passing HB 1588, the government would benefit from reduced overall expenses related to caring for people with autism. If insurance companies were required to cover these children, the government would no longer be responsible for paying the incurred costs left unpaid by the insurance companies and families. The families of autistic children do not always have the resources available to obtain care. The families alone might only be able to pay for the most basic essential care and not the extra costs that are associated (transportation, behavioral therapy, etc.). The passing of this bill would not only assist the families directly but would also help tax-paying citizens by re-directing the funds once used to care for these children. These individuals would potentially be higher functioning in society if they received the necessary care early on versus providing care later because the therapies received would allow the individuals to contribute more to society.


Politically: who/what affects this bill?

In the United States, health care insurance companies have a tremendous amount of power on the influence of governmental decisions as it applies to health care. This bill would expand most normal coverage policies for the autistic child, which would result in overall increased costs for insurance companies to care for these individuals throughout a lifetime. The following parties also have an influence on HB 1588: nurses, policy advocates, pharmaceutical companies, bill sponsors and active voters.


What impact would HB 1588 have on nurses, individual clients and families, and the health care system as a whole?

If HB 1588 is passed, nurses would be able to be more efficient in the care they give. The passing of this bill would also require nurses to be more educated on autism spectrum disorders. If autistic clients were receiving behavioral therapy, they would be more compliant. This would make the nurse's job easier (ex. fighting with patient). The patients would probably be more compliant overall if they were provided with medical coverage. They would probably take their medications regularly, attend therapy sessions and obtain help when needed. Children are more likely to be abused when parents are frustrated and stressed out. With HB 1588, Families would be less stressed about obtaining care for their children. This could potentially lead to a better home environment. The health care system would need to create more jobs to facilitate the care for these clients if this bill is passed. The health care system would no longer have to "eat the cost" of the treatments provided to these children because the insurance companies would be required to pay.