**Update 3/11/10 9:36pm PST: Reports are that SB 554 was deliberated on Thursday, but that time
ran out before a vote on the bill could be taken. The suggestion is that this delay in action could put the measure in jeopardy. The next scheduled meeting of the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee would be Wednesday, March 17, 2010.**
-------------------------------------ran out before a vote on the bill could be taken. The suggestion is that this delay in action could put the measure in jeopardy. The next scheduled meeting of the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee would be Wednesday, March 17, 2010.**
Kansas bill, SB 554 :AN ACT concerning insurance; providing coverage for autism spectrum disorder; amending K.S.A. 2009 Supp. 75-6501 and repealing the existing section.
was considered Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, and some reports are predicting that the bill would be put to a vote when the Committee next meets Thursday, March 11 at 9:30 am, Rm 152-S.
SB 554 would be limited to a trial on the state health care benefits program and dependent on a report to the legislature on outcome data and recommendation for both continuance of the mandate and possible future expansion to other health insurance carriers and policies.
Applied behavior analysis is defined within the bill, although the "autism services provider" is not stated explicitly to be a BACB certificant or other competencies named. Coverage of behavior analytic services would be subject to prescription by a licensed physician or psychologist.
Services provided pursuant to this paragraph shall be those services which are or have been recognized by peer reviewed literature as providing medical benefit to the patient based upon the patient’s particular autism
spectrum disorder.
Provided services would be dependent on recognition in peer reviewed literature as providing a medical benefit depending on the covered individual's autism spectrum disorder and the insurer or claim administrator would have the right to review utilization and deny claims based on assessment of medical necessity or a determiniation that a covered individual had derived the maximum medical benefit to be expected.
Relative to the trial nature of this mandate, the State Care Health Benefits Commission would be required on or before March 1, 2012 to submit to the President of the Kansas Senate and to the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives a report on the impact of the mandate during the plan year of January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011 on the state health care benefits program, and data on utilization and cost of providing coverage for autism spectrum disorder, and to make recommendation whether to continue the program for the state health care benefits program or whether more utilization and cost data is required.
At the legislative session following delivery of the report, the legislature would have the option to consider whether or not to require the coverage to be included in any individual or group health insurance policy,
medical service plan, contract, hospital service corporation contract, hospital and medical service corporation contract, fraternal benefit society or health maintenance organization which provides coverage for accident
and health services and which is delivered, issued for delivery, amended or renewed in the state of Kansas on or after July 1, 2013.
For further information
Text Kansas SB 554
Kansas Legislature
Autism would be covered by bill
By Barbara Hollingsworth
Topeka Capitol-Journal
Created March 10, 2010 at 6:44pm
Updated March 10, 2010 at 10:52pm
Autism Votes Kansas (no info yet on SB 554)
© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
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