Public Policy Priority: Funding
Autism New Jersey leads advocacy efforts to increase the availability of funding of services for children and adults with autism. We work closely with advocates, service providers, insurance carriers, and state officials to ensure that medically necessary behavioral services are available to those in need.
Improving the funding of services for children and adults with autism will always be a public policy priority for Autism New Jersey. Our current focus within this priority is on the following issues:
Medicaid
Medicaid dollars provide essential funding for children and adults. Working closely with the Department of Human Services (which oversees the state Medicaid Division) and the Children’s System of Care, we monitor current and future Medicaid spending proposals to learn more about the proposed types of supports and advocate to ensure the supports are evidence based.
Insurance coverage
Autism New Jersey played a critical role in the passage of P.L. 2009 c. 115 Health Benefits Coverage for Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities in 2009, spearheaded by legislative champion, Speaker Joseph Roberts, Jr. Later that year, Autism New Jersey worked with the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to provide technical assistance on provider qualifications for ABA services. In early 2010, DOBI issued a bulletin, based in part on Autism New Jersey’s recommendations, to provide implementation guidance to carriers, families, behavior analysts, and other providers. The autism insurance mandate went into effect on February 9, 2010.