OPM Adds Autism Coverage To Federal Health Plans
The plans will have to cover applied behavior analysis for children on the spectrum starting next year. “We continued to receive letters from federal families desperate to get this coverage for their children," Office of Personnel Management acting director Beth Cobert said, noting coverage had been uneven even after the office encouraged carriers to cover it.
The Washington Post:
Federal Employee Health Program To Boost Autism Benefits
Federal employee health-care plans will have to cover applied behavior analysis for children on the autism spectrum starting next year, and they are being encouraged to step up the incentives for enrollees to participate in wellness programs. The Office of Personnel Management since 2013 has encouraged carriers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to cover that treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but “coverage has been uneven for this intense one-on-one therapy that is becoming a leading form of treatment for these children,” acting director Beth Cobert said Thursday morning. (Yoder, 3/31)
In other news, more employees are saying they'd rather have higher wages and fewer health benefits —
Kaiser Health News:
Workers’ Desire Grows For Wage Increases Over Health Benefits
More wages, less health insurance. In a recent survey, one in five people with employer-based coverage said they would opt for fewer health benefits if they could get a bump in their wages. That’s double the percentage who said they would make that choice in 2012. “I do these surveys all the time, and it’s rare where you see things change that quickly,” said Paul Fronstin, director of the health research and education program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, which conducted the survey of 1,500 workers with Greenwald & Associates. (Andrews, 4/1)
