Senator Patty Murray (above) is the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee and sits on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Her office issued the following:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office (202) 224-2834
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 Gillibrand Press Office (202) 224-3873
TRICARE: Murray, Gillibrand Amendment Guarantees Health Coverage for Military Children With Developmental Disabilities
Despite
state laws that require behavioral health coverage in 34 states,
military health plans deny care to many military children with
disabilities
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) which would ensure that military families’
health plans provide adequate coverage for children and loved ones with
disabilities. The amendment requires TRICARE, the Department of Defense
health program for members of the military and their families, to
provide coverage for behavioral health treatments, including applied
behavior analysis (ABA).
Under current TRICARE policies, many children are denied coverage for
ABA and critical behavioral health treatments, and those children who do
receive care often receive less than the prescribed treatment. That
places TRICARE behind the curve of thirty-four states and the District
of Columbia, which require private insurers to cover ABA as a medically
necessary service for most children with a developmental disability.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management also categorizes ABA as a
"medical therapy” and covers ABA for federal employees’ dependents.
A one-page summary of the legislation is available here.
“Every parent of a child with a disability wants to do everything
they can to provide the best care, but for military parents dealing with
overseas deployments and frequent moves from state to state, the
challenge to access quality care is even greater,” said Senator Murray. “The
least we can do for our service men and women is provide quality health
care for their loved ones, and this amendment ensures that promise
extends to children with disabilities, too.”
“It is alarming that our military families who have sacrificed so
much are denied essential services for their children suffering from
autism and other developmental disabilities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This
legislation will help ensure that our military families have access to
the critical services, care and support they desperately need and
deserve.”
Behavioral health treatments for children with developmental
disabilities are widely recognized as effective therapies that can help
children learn the skills to be successful in school, live
independently, and find meaningful employment. However, despite the
widely-recognized benefits of these treatments, they are not always
available for families who receive their health care through TRICARE.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Mental Health
support behavioral health parity so that evidence based therapies can
be accessed by children and youth with developmental disabilities. This
includes systematic application of ABA for children with autism spectrum
disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Organizations supporting the Murray-Gillibrand amendment include:
Military Officers
Association of America, National Military Family Association,
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service,
VetsFirst, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Autism Speaks, Easter Seals,
Association of University Centers on Disabilities, The Arc, Autism
National Committee, National Down Syndrome Society, ACCSES, ADHD Aware,
American Dance Therapy Association, American Association on Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities, American Association on Health and
Disability, Brain Injury Association of America, Epilepsy Foundation,
Family Voices, Health & Disability Advocates, Lutheran Services in
America Disability Network, Mental Health America, National Association
of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of State
Directors of Special Education, National Organization on Disability,
National Council on Independent Living, Physician-Parent Caregivers, and
School Social Work Association of America.
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Sean Coit
Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834