NBC Nightly News will air an interview Saturday with Peter Bell, Autism Speaks’ executive vice president for programs and services, as part of a segment on new laws that are going into effect on January 1, 2011. Bell will address autism insurance legislation that will become effective in eight states: Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada and New Hampshire. These vital new laws, which affect state-regulated plans, will require health insurance policies to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. To date, 23 states have passed autism insurance legislation. Autism Speaks is actively working to introduce new bills in an additional 15 states during the upcoming 2011 legislative sessions.
For more information on federal and state autism initiatives and to contact your legislators about much needed autism insurance reform, visit www.autismvotes.org
Check your local listings for NBC Nightly News.
