Families with Autism emerge as winners in Legislative Sessions
July 23, 2018. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
As the smoke clears after a protracted series of regular and special legislative sessions, families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) emerged as winners thanks to several legislative acts that will improve access to critical autism therapy services. Throughout the four-month legislative marathon, the Louisiana Coalition for Access to Autism Services (LCAAS) was instrumental in advocating for policies that will ensure families have access to the right autism services for their child.
Founded in 2016 in response to the alarming rate at which autism diagnoses were going up while access to care was getting more and more restricted, this coalition of ABA therapy providers located around the state has made huge strides in protecting families and children with autism in the face of attempts to enact policies that would limit access to services.
*Applied Behavior Analysis therapy is the gold standard treatment for persons with Autism. Numerous scientific, medical, and other professional organizations recommend ABA as best practice, as do the Office of the US Surgeon General, the CDC, and other federal agencies. In fact, all of Louisiana’s commercial insurance providers, as well as managed care organizations (MCO’s) for Medicaid services are required to provide ABA benefits to policyholders.
Immediately after the formation of the LCAAS coalition in 2016, both Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) and Medicaid announced proposed cuts to reimbursement rates for ABA therapy of nearly 25%. Speaking with one single, loud voice, LCAAS fought back. Both BCBS and Medicaid significantly reduced their proposed cuts and have maintained access for ABA therapy services.
During the 2017 legislative session, LCAAS worked to educate the State administration and legislators regarding the mission of LCAAS and the importance of ensuring appropriate and sustainable funding for ABA therapy services. The Governor authored a letter instructing the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to maintain reimbursement rates for ABA therapy at their current levels.
As LDH prepared to transition the delivery of ABA services to five managed care organizations (MCOs) in early 2018, LCAAS worked with LDH to ensure that crucial and timely access to services was not interrupted.
The series of legislative sessions that wrapped up last month brought more victories on behalf of children with autism and their families:
LCAAS partnered with the Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association (LAABA) to advocate with one strong voice, and were successful in helping obtain passage of several pieces of important legislation.
Senate Bill 99 (ACT 353), authored by Sen. JP Morell of New Orleans, ensures that high-quality ABA therapy services will continue be provided by properly trained and certified therapists. The bill extends the authority of the Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board, which oversees the licensure, certification and registration of individuals practicing ABA in the State of Louisiana, until 2028. Authority for the Board, which was created in 2013 through the Behavior Analyst Practice Act, otherwise would have expired on July 1 of this year. In passing this important piece of legislation, both the Legislature and Governor have confirmed that State licensure of behavior analysts provides a vital consumer protection for recipients of ABA services, many of whom are children. The bill also protects reimbursement for ABA services since both governmental and commercial payers require that behavior analysts be licensed in order to qualify for reimbursement.
House Bill 1 (ACT 2), authored by Rep. Cameron Henry of Metairie, also known as the “Budget Bill,” authorizes the appropriation of all funding for the operation of State government. Shortly after the bill was introduced, LCAAS was successful in working with Rep. Henry and other legislators to add language to the bill prohibiting the state from reducing reimbursement rates for ABA therapy below their current levels. This includes rates paid by the five MCOs that the State has contracted to provide Medicaid ABA therapy services. By ensuring the stability of current reimbursement rates, this language helps protect the sustainability of services and therefore to access to care.
House Bill 766 (ACT 696), authored by Rep. Vincent Pierre of Lafayette, signifies a huge win for access to ABA therapy services in schools—an area of access that has been threatened in recent years. By requiring public school districts to allow outside behavioral health providers to provide services to students at school during school hours if requested by a parent or legal guardian, Act 696 ensures that school-aged children with Autism are able to receive appropriate therapy services. The bill also requires school districts to adopt policies that impose certain requirements such as background checks and proper certification and insurance coverage on outside providers seeking access. These requirements will help ensure that students receive services only from reputable and high-quality providers.
LCAAS wishes to thank the many legislators who went to bat for autism services. Thanks go too to all who supported these vital bills and, by extension, thousands of Louisiana families who are dealing with autism.
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