A Shift in Gears from HB3000 to the Federal Autism Treatment Acceleration Acts

First of all, I want to thank every last parent, family and supporter who threw their all into working on behalf of the passage of HB 3000, Oregon's Autism Insurance Reform Bill, by their articles, letters, testimony, talking to legislators and phone calls. Most bills do not make it as far as HB3000 did, and we gave it a good run and raised awareness of our kids and our issues!

Monday, June 8 was the last day for a hearing to be scheduled for HB 3000 in the Oregon House Rules Committee if it was going to continue in the legislative process. That hearing was not scheduled.

At this point the attention of this blog, and I hope your attention as a supporter of insurance fairness for our kids will shift to the Autism Treatment Acceleration Acts of 2009 in the U.S. Congress, which no doubt many already know about,

S. 819 :A bill to provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

&

H.R. 2413,
To provide for enhanced treatment, support, services, and research for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

There are many fine opportunities that will be created for children, adults and families living with autism if these measures can pass in this 111th Congress, and one of them is the insurance fairness that we have been seeking on a state-by-state basis.

There'll be more to come in future posts, but for now I would like to point you to

• a previous post on these Federal bills, about why it's time for insurance equity for children with autism,
  
  
• the sidebar of this blog which has quicklinks to the texts and status of
  S. 819, H.R. 2413,
  as well as the TRICARE autism insurance bills specific to military families,
  H.R. 1600 and S. 1169 , and
  
  
• direct you to the information at Autism Votes about the Autism Treatment Acceleration Acts., and
  
  
• ask you to please contact your Congressional Senators and Representatives and
  urge them to co-sponsor and support S. 819 and H.R. 2413.
  

Again, thank you for the good fight on Oregon HB3000, your continued work on S. 819 and H.R. 2413, and for your continued support of improving things for our children and our families.

We can do it and we can get there.