ST. PAUL — With a picture of his son at his side, Rochester resident Brad Trahan on Wednesday urged lawmakers to support a bill requiring health insurance companies to cover treatment for autism.

“For years, private insurance companies have failed our individuals diagnosed with autism, they have failed our moms and dads,” Trahan said.

The founder of the RT Autism Awareness Foundation traveled to St. Paul to speak in favor of a bill sponsored by Rochester Rep. Kim Norton. The Democrat has introduced a measure that would require insurance companies to cover “medically necessary care” for autism spectrum disorders.

“This bill is asking you to acknowledge the health care needs of our children with autism and to put into law the language that will assure that our families have access to the medically recommended and proven early-intervention treatments that our families deserve,” Norton told members of the Health Care and Human Service Policy and Oversight Committee.

The bill won committee approval on a voice vote, but it still has plenty of hurdles to pass before it could become state law.

Autism diagnosis have grown significantly in recent years, with an estimated with 1 out of every 150 children having an autism disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Parents of children with autism testified that while some insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield cover intense autism therapies geared towards young children, other private insurers have not. Trahan told the committee he had to fight to get these 20 to 30 hours of treatment per weekend that Mayo Clinic doctors had recommended for his son Reece.

But Kathryn Kmit, a lobbyist for the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, told lawmakers that this intensive treatment is extremely costly and there needs to be more scientific evidence of its effectiveness. She said it can cost up to $100,000 per child per year.

Also speaking out against the bill were organizations that represent businesses. Stacia Smith, a lobbyist with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, said these types of mandates on insurance hurt small- and medium-sized businesses that are already struggling to provide health care to their employees.

“We urge this committee to focus on reforms that will make health care more affordable and not to increase mandates and regulations that will drive up costs,” Smith said.

But supporters say there is plenty of scientific evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of these intensive therapies.

“What is so frustrating for us is that families receive what is basically a devastating diagnosis. There is a therapy that is out there that has been shown to be effective, we recommend this therapy and then the parents can’t access it,” said Dr. Robin Rumsey, a pediatric neuropsychologist with the University of Minnesota.

Trahan said since his son Reece began receiving intensive treatment, he has watched his son make steady progress.

He told lawmakers, “By passing this legislation, you will give our kids the hope they deserve and the therapy they deserve.”

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