SB 74 Summary

• Health care insurers in Alaska must provide coverage for diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for individuals under 21 years of age, effective January 1, 2013, with limited exceptions for small employers with 20 or fewer employees.

• Covered treatments include pharmacy care, psychiatric care, psychological care, habilitative or rehabilitative care (including applied behavior analysis), and therapeutic care prescribed by licensed physicians, psychologists, or advanced nurse practitioners.

• Coverage cannot limit the number of visits to autism service providers, cannot be conditioned on coordination with education programs, and insurers cannot deny or terminate coverage based on autism diagnosis or treatment.

• The Comprehensive Autism Early Diagnosis and Treatment Task Force is established with nine members representing state agencies, mental health providers, private insurance, disability advocates, and parents of autistic children to submit recommendations to the legislature by January 15, 2013.

• The task force must provide policy options for comprehensive autism diagnosis and treatment programs, draft legislation, fiscal projections for five years, and analysis of federal health care reform implementation effects.