DOVER, Del.- A bill introduced in the Delaware Senate on Tuesday could be the financial help many parents with children with autism are seeking.
Senate Bill 22 would require insurance companies to cover treatments for autism for kids under 21 in Delaware.
Currently, many parents have to pay out of pocket for services their children because their insurance won't cover them. Nancy Carnwright's 11-year-old son Dylan has autism and she said the cost has been very high for her family.
"We had to pay out of pocket thousands of dollars for services that really helped him," she said. "He's 11 now and we can see the fruits of our effort. I wish this wouldn't go this way for other families."
Carnwright said she is lucky, in that she is able to afford the cost of Dylan's care. She knows several families who are unable to handle the out of pocket costs and their children do not get the services they need.
Even though the passing of Senate Bill 22 would cost insurance companies now, Carnwright said it will cost less in the long run.
"America, in general, and Delaware is starting to understand it can cost us more later if we don't help the kids when they're younger," she said. "Then the cost is greater later if we have to care for them and they haven't had the chance to learn the skills that help them improve their daily living."
