Monday, October 18, 2010

Action Alert!

Thank you for calling Senate Majority Leader Bishop last week! We heard from many of you who indicated that they spoke with his office and they were being deluged with calls regarding the movement of autism insurance reform legislation before the end of the year.

With the legislative clock ticking down, now more than ever we need Senator Bishop and the members of the Michigan Senate to provide principled leadership and move autism insurance legislation forward this year!

Here is how you can help:
Please spend two minutes making two phone calls:

1. First, call Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop AGAIN and ask him to move autism insurance reform legislation forward now. Please be polite when you call. Ask for his principled leadership on this issue. Let him know that autism insurance coverage means a great deal to your family and will also be the fiscally responsible thing to do for the state of Michigan.
Senate Majority Leader Michael D. Bishop - (517) 373-2417
If you happen to be sent to voice mail, please leave a message.


2. Then, call YOUR Michigan Senator and ask for their support in ensuring movement of autism insurance reform legislation this session. (You can find out who your Michigan State Senator is and their phone number here.) If you would like to see how your Senator responded to the survey we sent out a few weeks ago, or to see if your Senator even responded at all, please check for their name on the Candidate Guide. Feel free to ask your Senator or their staff the questions posed in the survey if they have not yet responded.


3. Please forward this e-mail to at least ten of your friends, asking them to make these two critical calls as well.

Thank you for your continued advocacy and focus. Please stay up to date by visiting 

http://autisminsurancemi.blogspot.com/ 
regularly. Passage of meaningful autism insurance reform legislation is the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it in the State of Michigan. 





Let’s make it happen!



AIM BIO:

AIM is comprised of over 3000 residents of Michigan who have pledged their support in passing the autism insurance legislation in Michigan. The sole aim of AIM is to pass autism insurance legislation in Michigan with the help of those 3000+ members.

AIM Position Statement

It is our position that
1) legislation should be passed in the state of Michigan that will require insurance companies to cover diagnosis, treatment, and services for all people wiht Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
2) all people with ASD should be covered, regardless of age.
3) Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as any of the pervasive developmental disorders as defined by the most recent edition of the DSM.
4) this coverage should include treatments as prescribed or ordered by the insured's treating physician or psychologist and that no insurer may deny coverage for an individual based solely on the fact that the individual is diagnosed with an ASD.
5) covered treatments shall not be subject to visit limits.
6) there should be a provision for an expedited arbitration process if an insurance company denies coverage or changes coverage status.
7) coverage should not be construed as limiting access to benefits or other services that are otherwise available to an individual.

List of Supporting Organizations as of 4/23/10

ACT Network

Ann Arbor Families for Autistic Children's Education and Support

Autism Advisory Group
Autism Alliance of Michigan
Autism ASK

Autism Insurance in Michigan (AIM)

Autism Resource Network

Autism Society of America

Autism Society of America - Oakland County Chapter

Autism Society of Washtenaw County

Autism Society of WestShore

Autism SpeaksAutism Alliance of Michigan

Beaumont Hospitals

Behavior Analysts Association of Michigan

Detroit Medical Center
DTE Energy Company

Early InterventionCenter

Easter Seals

Elder Disability Rights Association Section of the State Bar of Michigan

Family Chiropractic Clinic

First Capital Directories

Forestview Lanes

Fravel Financial Services

GFWC Madison Heights Intermediate Womens Club

Glenn Buege Chevrolet

Henry Ford Health System

HOPE Network
Image One Corporation

Kaufman Children's Center for Speech, Language, Sensory-Motor & Social Connections, Inc.

Michael James Associates

Michigan Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals

Michigan Association of IntermediateSchool Administrators

Michigan Association of School Administrators

Michigan Association of School Boards

Michigan Association of School Psychologists

Michigan Association of School Social Workers

Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health

Michigan Nurses Association

Michigan Pharmacists Association

Michigan PTA

Michigan Secondary School Principals Association

Michigan Speech Language Hearing Association

Middle Cities Education Association

Monroe IntermediateSchool District

National Alliance on Mental Illness - Michigan Chapter (member of Partners for Parity)

National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
Rehmann CPAs Troy, MI

The Abilities Center

The Ann Arbor Center for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
The Children's Center of Wayne County

Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District
Wayne County

If your organization is not on this list and you would like to show your support, please email your organization name and your contact information for verification to traveltrio@verizon.net Thank you!



Jim Bouder's Testimony 6/9/09

Espinozas' Testimony 6/9/09