The Capitol Report: Making progress on health insurance legislation
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in by Jeff Grisamore
On July 17th, I was appointed by the Missouri Speaker of the House, Ron Richard, to a newly formed Interim Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders. The charge of this committee is to produce legislation for the next session which will result in a requirement for health insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
Having served the last two years as a sponsor of legislation that sought such insurance coverage through House Bill 2265 in 2008 and HB 298 in 2009, I am encouraged by this development and thankful to the Speaker for having appointed me and my colleagues to this committee. Now is the time to end insurance discrimination against children with autism and their families.
Last year we made great progress on this cause with the HB 2265 hearing, which was heard by the Health Care Policy Committee and filmed by the NBC Today Show. Our press conference following that committee hearing is still available on “YouTube” and will be available on the GreenSummit Dispatch Online.
This year our fight for health insurance coverage for autism gained even more momentum. My HB 298 was combined with an identical bill, HB 357, filed by my colleague in this fight, Dwight Scharnhorst, who was appointed as Chairman of our Interim Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Dwight’s grandson, Bryce, who died in 2007 from complications of epilepsy, also had autism. Our daughter, Rebekah, who died in 2002, had also a genetic condition-Prader-Willi Syndrome – associated with autism. Thus, this is a very personal and passionate fight for Dwight and I and for the families of children with autism. Autism is one of 12 major neurological disorders and is the only one of the 12 excluded from coverage by health insurance carriers. That is discriminatory and wrong.
Our Republican colleagues in the Senate, Scott Rupp and Eric Schmitt, are also leading this fight through Senator Rupp’s Senate Bill 167 that passed in the Senate by a vote of 27 to 2, and Senator Schmitt’s SB 157-the Missouri Autism Projects-that became law this year along with my HB 525.
Senate Bill 167 and our House Bills 298 and 357 were blocked from reaching the House floor despite receiving more than one unanimous vote in favor of their passage in the Health Care Policy and Rules committees.
We have been assured by the Speaker of the House that next year will be different. He has asked our interim committee to draft a bill for pre-filing in December, which he has promised will be allowed floor debate early in session as one of the first bills considered on the House floor.
I also joined Governor Nixon on August 6th at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for a press conference in which he called for passage of this autism insurance legislation. I am encouraged by the bi-partisan support and thankful that the Speaker of the House has given his commitment to allow this legislation.
On another disabilities-related note, I had an inspiring time leading a mock session in the Senate Chambers at the Missouri Capitol on July 28th for the Missouri Youth Leadership Forum Class of 2009; a part of the Governor’s Council on Disability (see photo).
All participating students from throughout the state were very inspiring, including one articulate young lady who had a tracheal breathing tube and an oxygen tank attached to her wheel chair.
I will report more on developments in the coming month’s issues of the GreenSummit Dispatch following our first interim committee meeting scheduled for September 15th at the Capitol in Jefferson City.
If we can be of assistance to you in any way, please contact our Capitol office by phone at 573.751.1456 or email at jeff.grisamore@house.mo.gov or by mail at 201 W. Capitol Avenue, Room 134, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
State Representative, District 47, Serving the Citizens of Greenwood & Lee’s Summit
