mental health; autism; insurance coverage

More autism therapy coverage under group plans

The law bars covered Arizona group plans from denying autism-related treatment or medically necessary behavioral therapy based on an autism diagnosis. It removes former annual caps of $50,000 for children up to age 9 and $25,000 for ages 9–16. Therapy must be provided or supervised by a licensed or certified provider. The rules exclude individual and small-employer contracts, limited-benefit plans, out-of-state services, and certain life, annuity, and long-term-care policies. Plan terms and cost sharing still apply. Autism is defined using the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, replacing the prior definition based on three disorders.