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April 9, 2008

Parents vow to keep fighting for autism bill

TIM TALLEY

OKLAHOMA CITY — Parents of autistic children vowed Wednesday to continue to fight for legislation requiring insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism after a state House committee refused to give the bill a hearing.

“We’re not going to go away,” said Robyne Rohde of Edmond, whose son, 10-year-old Nick Rohde, suffers from autism. “The one thing they’ll never take away from us is hope.”

The legislation, known as Nick’s Law, was assigned to the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee last month after it was approved by the Senate. But the committee’s chairman, Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, refused to give it a hearing.

The bill’s author, Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, expressed frustration about the bill’s demise and said he has filed an amendment to incorporate Nick’s Law into unrelated legislation that is pending in the Senate.

“I have never seen a perversion of the legislative process like we did today,” said Gumm, who was flanked by more than a dozen parents of autistic children who appeared at the state Capitol to express support for the measure.

Gumm said the bill received bipartisan support in the Senate and deserved to be heard in Peterson’s committee.

“What are they afraid of?” Gumm said. “That’s why people elect us, to have these discussions.”

Peterson said he is concerned the autism mandate may raise insurance costs. A fiscal impact report on the bill states the autism requirements will increase the cost of insurance provided by the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board by $6 million a year.

Higher costs may force more Oklahomans to go without insurance, Peterson said.

“This is like throwing gas on a fire and expecting it to go out,” he said.

Peterson said the families of autistic children have a right to try to influence legislation. “I have to take all Oklahomans in consideration when crafting public policy,” he said.

Gumm said similar measures have been adopted in 18 other states. Texas, where an autism treatment mandate was approved last year, has seen no increase in insurance costs, he said.

“This is baffling to us,” said Bob Greve of Edmond, whose 5-year-old son is autistic.

Greve said insurance companies should be required to defend their exclusion of autism from covered conditions. He said his family spends up to $3,800 a month on medical and behavioral therapy for his son — costs that are only partially covered by his insurance company.

Autism is a bio-neurological disability that affects communication skills in young children, many of whom also suffer from ailments such as allergies, asthma and epilepsy. Officials estimate it affects about one of every 150 children.

Greve said an autism coverage mandate would help eliminate the physical suffering of autistic children.

“Our children are not throwaway kids,” said Greve’s wife, Liza Greve, who added that autism is treatable.

Gumm said it is ironic that state lawmakers who support anti-abortion legislation would oppose a measure designed to help some of the most vulnerable children. Failure to treat them can lead to children becoming wards of the state, he said.

“These children are here. They deserve to be protected,” Gumm said.

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