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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 2, 2013 02:09 PM |
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| From: | Representative Joseph F. Markosek |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Cosponsorship of Legislation: Maintaining Autism Diagnosis |
| In the near future, I will be reintroducing legislation (previously House Bill 2678) which would amend the current law that requires health insurance providers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. The current law, section 635.2 of the Insurance Company Law of 1921, was enacted in 2008. The criteria for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders are set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The current version, the DSM-IV was first published in 1994 and was revised in 2000. The next version, the DSM-V will be published in May 2013. The DSM-V will revise the definition of “autism spectrum disorders.” The proposed definition has caused some concern in the autism community regarding whether individuals who were diagnosed under the DSM-IV would retain their diagnosis under the DSM-V. The state of Illinois recently amended its law mandating health coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders to ensure that individuals diagnosed under the DSM-IV remain covered for services under the DSM-V. I believe that Pennsylvania should offer the same protection to individuals with autism here. It is important that these individuals maintain continuity of services in order to maintain or improve their levels of functioning. Last session, this legislation was cosponsored by the following members: MARKOSEK, FRANKEL, BISHOP, K. BOYLE, BROWNLEE, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, HARHAI, HARKINS, HESS, JAMES, KOTIK, KULA, MAHONEY, McGEEHAN, MOUL, MURPHY, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PASHINSKI, READSHAW, SABATINA, SCAVELLO, STURLA, THOMAS, WATERS, WILLIAMS and BRADFORD. |
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Introduced as HB692