NEW YORK -- A bill to cover military children with autism and other disabilities penned by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand passed the Senate Thursday.
The bi-partisan backed Gillibrand amendment to the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act lifts restrictions on treatment for tens of thousands of youngsters in military families.
The measure requires the military health insurance program to expand behavioral care and proven treatments to nationally recommended standards.
Said Ms. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): "It is alarming that our military families who have sacrificed so much are denied essential services for their children suffering from autism and other disabilities. This amendment will help ensure that our military families have access to the critical services, care and support they desperately need and deserve."
The current military health insurance program, TRICARE, does not cover applied behavior analysis, a treatment recommended for autistic disorders. More than 23,000 TRICARE beneficiaries have been diagnosed with autism and another 10,000 families have a dependent with a developmental disability, Ms. Gillibrand's office said.
The Gillibrand amendment requires TRICARE to meet the minimum threshold of basic care, cover behavioral treatment for developmental disabilities, including autism, modeled after national standards, and lift the financial cap on care.
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Source: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/gillibrand_bill_to_aid_militar_1.html
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