Copy the text below and click on one (or more!) of the links to send to legislators.
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I am reaching out to you to speak out against the weekly time caps and lifetime limits Medicaid recently proposed for children receiving ABA therapy. ABA therapy is evidence-based and has been proven to be the most effective method for helping children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These children are valuable and possess great potential, but they need this therapy in order to have the best chance of success in our community.
The newly proposed weekly time caps, lifetime limits, and other requirements would undermine the effectiveness of this treatment. The time caps are not based on medical data or best practices.
Medicaid's proposals are in direct violation of established policies: the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the CMS requirements for Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT). CMS recognizes that a treatment does not need to "cure" a condition in order to be considered successful or medically necessary.
Children with autism should not be punished because they are not being "cured" by ABA therapy fast enough - after all, autism is not something that can be "cured." Instead ABA therapy carefully equips children with life skills, social skills, and communication skills. This takes time.
Each child is unique and makes progress at the best rate they can. They should not be penalized or denied service because their disability prevented them from developing these skills faster.
These weekly time caps and lifetime limits entirely misrepresent the purpose, process, and data-driven science of ABA therapy.
Children with autism are a vulnerable population which cannot afford to lose such a life-changing treatment. This loss would be devastating to their future and would have negative ripple effects felt throughout our whole community for years to come.
(You may add a personal testimony of the benefits your loved one has experienced from ABA therapy here!)
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Copy the text above and click on one (or more!) of the links to send to legislators. Enter a topic of "Family and Children Services," "Health," or "Insurance."
Senators:
House:
For districts outside of the Fort Wayne area, find contact links through https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators