Donations Promised private funding remains elusive.
Elected leaders celebrated Wednesday a public-private partnership that will fund a new autism treatment pilot, but the exact financial commitment by Utah banks and insurance companies is yet to be disclosed.
Only Intermountain Healthcare said after a press conference at the state capitol that it planned to contribute $500,000 to the two-year program. The state has yet to receive any donations.
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives attended but said they do not plan to contribute to the program. Zions Bank has said it will make a donation but did not specify an amount at the press conference.
Altius was named as a donor in a press release but did not attend the conference.
Rep. Ronda Menlove, R-Garland, the sponsor of the legislation that created the program, said she expects donations to reach $1 million. The pilot program is designed to allow about 300 children to receive behavioral treatment.
For the past several months, state officials and parents have wondered when that money would appear. During the last legislative session, some parents had pushed for a mandate to force insurers to cover treatment. Menloves pilot was pitched as an alternative, and was supported by insurers and some parents.
But legislators focused Wednesday on the collaboration that gave birth to the pilot program while acknowledging that much work remains to be done.
"This is not a mission accomplished banner behind us," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper. "This is the beginning of what we need to do."
Read the original here:
Utah lawmakers celebrate, but autism donations yet to appear