Parents rally for autism insurance bill

When Ashburn resident Shelley Mills learned her son Nicholas had autism two years ago, she was determined to do whatever necessary to get him the treatment he needed.

After starting his treatments however, Mills was shocked when the claim for her son was denied by their insurance company.

"You assume that when you have a medical plan, it'll be taken care of," she said. "It's not a mandated thing. [Autism] is in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual as mental illness."

That means autism and other developmental disabilities are not typically covered by medical insurance plans.

Parents like Mills who have a child with autism can spend thousands of dollars a year for treatments such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and applied behavioral analysis for their child.

And right now, many insurance companies aren't helping with the bill.

"It's a big financial burden," said Cindy Davis, of Leesburg, whose son Alex, 5, has autism. "It's a lot of out-of-pocket expense. It totals like $50,000 a year."

That's why parents all over the region are pushing for the passage of Virginia House Bill 83, to mandate that health insurers in the state cover services for individuals with autism and other developmental delays.

In Loudoun County, an Autism Summit will be July 28 at 6 p.m. at the Potomac Club in Lansdowne to rally local parents, therapists and community activists and to spread the word about supporting the insurance bill.

"We're trying to raise awareness about autism and work to help each other overcome this disorder in Loudoun County," said Pat DiBari, co-founder of the event.

The summit has sparked the launch of a new Web site, The Loudoun Project, at theloudounproject.ning.com. The Web site is a social networking site for those interested in autism in Loudoun County.

A petition has also been started to show support for H.B. 83 at www.ipetitions.com/petition/VaHouseBill83/index.html. So far, there are more than 1,200 signatures.

"I am very much in favor of this bill being passed," said Michael Bellizia, a single father from Leesburg whose son Devin, 7, has autism. "When I began to try to get him extra help such as speech therapy, I was told I would not be covered [by insurance]. I had even been questioned by my insurance company why he needed such services. I was stuck, and to tell the truth, I still am."

Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com

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