In a California Healthline report by Deirdre Kennedy, experts discussed the state’s effort to implement autism treatment for children as a Medi-Cal benefit. Advocates have said the waiting list to go through a lengthy evaluation process has slowed access to autism therapy, and health plans have had a difficult time setting up provider networks without a state rate structure.
The report includes comments from:
- Sarah Brooks, deputy director of health care delivery systems at the California Department of Health Care Services;
- Kelly Hardy, the senior managing director of health policy at Children Now, a children’s health advocacy group based in Sacramento;
- Kristin Jacobson, president of Autism Deserves Equal Coverage, an autism therapy advocacy group based in Burlingame; and
- Sarah Trautman-Eslinger, founder of Berkeley-based STE Consultants, which provides ABA therapy services (Kennedy, California Healthline, 09/16/15).
You can download a PDF of this report.