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Amy K. Weinstock is director of UMass Medical School’s Autism Insurance Resource Center. |
When the daughter of Amy K. Weinstock, director of UMass Medical School’s Autism Insurance Resource Center, was diagnosed with autism 16 years ago, health insurance didn’t cover medical treatments to help the disorder. Most states today require insurance to cover some treatments for autism, and UMass Medical School’s new autism insurance tool is helping families access that coverage, Weinstock wrote in a column for Worcester Business Journal's Health quarterly magazine.
Massachusetts’ autism insurance law, which took effect in 2011, is one of the most comprehensive in the country, Weinstock said in the Sept. 21 column. UMass Medical School’s “Am I Covered?” tool helps families determine whether their insurance is subject to the state’s autism insurance law. Information is provided for alternatives to accessing treatment for policies that don’t include coverage.
“Am I Covered?” was created by the Autism Insurance Resource Center and INDEX, units within UMass Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. The resource center was founded in March 2011 after the state autism insurance law was passed. In addition to helping families and caregivers access medically necessary autism treatments, the resource center assists providers, employers and educators on a broad range of issues related to medical insurance for autism treatment. INDEX is a technology development group.
