Jeanette Rishell

Autism study emphasizes the importance of treatments Jackson Miller voted against covering

MANASSAS, VA - A study released in the journal Pediatrics shows that cases of autism have risen in the United States and about 1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have autism or a related disorder. Given this increase in statistics, that means that based on 2007 census data for Virginia, thousands of children in Virginia suffer from the disease.

In the 2009 legislative session, Delegate Jackson Miller voted against a bill to support requiring insurance companies to cover treatments for autistic children. After telling parents of autistic children that he would support the bill, he ended up voting to kill the bill.

“This most recent study highlights the real concerns of parents with young children today. As more and more parents face the tough reality of dealing with autism, Delegate Miller voted against coverage of some of the most basic treatments for their children,” said Jeanette Rishell, candidate for Delegate.

Studies indicate that strong early intervention that would have been funded by insurance in the autism bill helps about 90% of autistic children to improve dramatically and about half reach normal or near-normal functioning. Additionally, the cost increase to insurance companies would have been negligible, approximately $1.50 per policy per month.

“No matter what excuses he gives, Jackson Miller's voting record on the autism bill clearly shows that when it mattered, he voted against supporting the families of children with autism. By killing the autism bill in the 2009 session, Jackson Miller has forced families with autistic children to bear the costs of treatment during an economic recession. A family should never have to chose between feeding their child or providing their child with necessary medical care," said Rishell.

“Jackson Miller will tell you that it was a ‘procedural vote’ but the parents of autistic children will tell you it was a stab in the back,” said Ilana Kaplan-Shain, campaign manager for Jeanette Rishell.

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