HANNIBAL, Mo. (WGEM) -
The number of Missouri children receiving autism-related treatment increased by over 20 percent in the past few years.
According to Governor Nixon, a landmark 2010 bill that required insurance companies to cover treatment for autism has been instrumental in providing care for hundreds of thousands of families.
The bill has been instrumental in providing care for hundreds of thousands of families, but while it helps, the total cost of payments for autism treatment increased 127 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to the Missouri Department of Insurance.
And for rural families, there's another challenge: access to specialized care where they live.
Hannibal resident Marsha Walton gets a free concert everyday. Her son Nathan is a music savant, a gift she says comes from his high-functioning autism. But that gift is costly when it comes to medical care.
"It could be anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500 for an initial visit," Walton said.
Marsha says without insurance, families could expect to break the bank.
"When you're looking at all of the therapy, medication if the child takes medication, and then all of the follow up visits, it does rack up the dollars real quick," Walton said.
Luckily, they don't have to pay out-of-pocket thanks to a Missouri law that requires insurance companies to cover autism-related treatment.
The rest is here:
Missouri autism legislation helping more families with medical costs