Families say it will still be difficult to find treatment

Sacramento, CA -- Leading autism and consumer advocacy organizations in California are calling a settlement agreed to last week between the state and Blue Shield of California to expand coverage for autism treatment a "sham" that will not result in more therapy for people with the condition.

What's worse than an insurance company that denies a child access to medically necessary treatments for autism?  A complicit regulator that's too cozy with the very insurers that they are charged to oversee.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) overstepped its constitutional authority in issuing a memorandum to health insurance companies on how to handle consumer complaints about autism treatment, a state judge ruled Dec. 30 (Consumer Watchdog v. California Department of Managed Health Care, Cal. Super. Ct., No. BS121397, 12/30/10).
 

LOS ANGELES - A Superior Court judge overseeing an unusual consumer lawsuit against state regulators found that a 2009 policy that has allowed health insurance plans to more easily deny coverage for some costly autism therapies constituted an "underground regulation," but has declined to intervene.

Court ruling finds regulator overstepped on memo to insurers about autism treatment complaints

On Other Key Issues, Ruling Leaves Autistic Children at Risk; Brown Administration Urged to Take Action

A Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a ruling late Monday finding in part that the Schwarzenegger Administration illegally changed state policy relating to autism coverage without following the required public process.  However the ruling failed to address key legal issues, including California’s mental health parity law, and leaves children at risk of additional coverage denials for autism treatments, according to Consumer Watchdog.

We have cleared the final hurdle before going to trial next Monday on our suit against the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), the state's largest health insurance regulator, for illegally siding with insurance companies over autism treatment delays.