"JEFFERSON CITY — Families with autistic children appear likely to gain insurance coverage in Missouri next year, but how much coverage will be the focus of a heated debate that kicked off Tuesday.
In jammed hearing rooms, supporters of an insurance mandate urged legislative committees to make Missouri the 15th state, including Illinois, to require that all health insurance policies pay for diagnosis and treatment of the fast-growing brain disorder.
The issue has been on the front burner since Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, criticized the Republican-led House for killing the bill last year. GOP leaders have promised to make it a priority this year. To get a jump on Nixon, both the House and Senate held autism hearings on the eve of Nixon's 'State of the State' speech, which he will deliver at 7 tonight and which is expected to highlight the issue."
In jammed hearing rooms, supporters of an insurance mandate urged legislative committees to make Missouri the 15th state, including Illinois, to require that all health insurance policies pay for diagnosis and treatment of the fast-growing brain disorder.
The issue has been on the front burner since Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, criticized the Republican-led House for killing the bill last year. GOP leaders have promised to make it a priority this year. To get a jump on Nixon, both the House and Senate held autism hearings on the eve of Nixon's 'State of the State' speech, which he will deliver at 7 tonight and which is expected to highlight the issue."