COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE
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GOP leaders in the Georgia Senate presented a united front Monday just days away from voting on the first major bills of the session as action at the state Legislature picked up in this second week of work.
The public move came as the chamber's Insurance and Labor Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 1, a measure that would make insurance companies cover children with autism. Both business advocates and health care insurance groups oppose the plan, which has been kicked around the Gold Dome since 2009 without passage despite winning Senate support last year.
That such a vote came Day 6 of the 40-day session gave leaders, including Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer, R-Duluth, and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a chance to flex their muscles — the autism bill tops a GOP agenda in their chamber that includes a smaller child welfare privatization effort and an education initiative to make it easier for high schoolers to take college-level courses.
But it also highlights the differences among the Republican majority at the Capitol, where House members last year stymied a larger child welfare privatization push and stiff-armed the autism mandate. That policy divide remains unchanged, although there’s more time to work things out since this is only the first year in a two-year legislative cycle.
"We disagree, but that's why people send us here: We come to disagree and work out the disagreements," said state Sen. Charlie Bethel, R-Dalton, who is sponsoring SB 1 as the Insurance Committee chairman. "We have a solution a clear majority of states have adopted. We're of the opinion that doing nothing is unacceptable for our children."
Thirty-eight states, including Florida and South Carolina, require coverage of autism, including behavioral health treatment sought by parents here. Opponents, however, warn SB 1 would increase health insurance premiums across Georgia, and powerful groups including the Georgia Chamber have lined up against it.
Parents of autistic children said they remained hopeful. Another high-profile effort to help children — legalizing a limited form of medical marijuana to help treat severe seizure disorders — is the House’s top priority this year. Parents who will hold “autism day at the Capitol” here on Wednesday said that’s enough common ground to help families on both issues.
Anna Bullard, whose 10-year-old daughter Ava inspired the Senate to nickname SB 1 as “Ava’s Law,” said limits in the bill — including a $35,000 limit on annual payouts and exempting businesses with 10 or fewer employees — have been successful in other states. And she looks no further than across the dinner table to see that it works: Ava began applied behavioral therapy for autism at age 3 and now functions well.
“They said she would never speak, she would not be able to function in a regular ed classroom (or) live independently,” Bullard said. “Ava’s potential was not seen but is worth fighting for.”
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