[HEALTH.MIL] Re: Tricare Cuts Will Hurt At-Risk Military Children, Lawmakers Say
- From: HEALTH.MIL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: <HEALTH.MIL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:52:50 -0500
NOTE: More information about TRICARE changes to Autism Coverage and Applied
Behavior Analysis is available at
http://www.tricare.mil/Home/CoveredServices/SeeWhatsCovered/AppliedBehaviorAnaly
sis.aspx
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Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 2:09 PM
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Subject: [HEALTH.MIL] Tricare Cuts Will Hurt At-Risk Military Children,
Lawmakers Say
Tricare Cuts Will Hurt At-Risk Military Children, Lawmakers Say
By Jennifer Hlad
Stars and Stripes
Published: July 15, 2013
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - New rules for Tricare will limit the ability of thousands of
military children with developmental disabilities to get the therapy and care
they need, two U.S. senators and an advocacy group say.
"The apparent lack of understanding of the needs of children with developmental
disability, including autism, when drafting the recent Tricare policy changes is
astounding," Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Patty Murray wrote in a recent letter
to Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs
and director of Tricare management activity.
The new rules, set to take effect July 25, require standardized testing for
autistic children every six months, , and require the children to demonstrate
progress to continue receiving a type of treatment called Applied Behavioral
Analysis. The rules also require anyone who wants more than two years of the
treatment to go through a waiver process and cut off care after 16 years old.
Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization, is "very concerned"
about the age cutoff and limits on the length of time children can receive care,
as well as the administrative hurdles, said Karen Driscoll, associate director
for federal government affairs and military relations.
"Military families deserve better," Driscoll said.
Gillibrand and Murray said the "measurable progress" requirement also is
troublesome, since military children sometimes regress or have trouble making
progress because of deployments, frequent moves or other life events common in
military households.
"Last year, new policies cut off children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and
other developmental disabilities from receiving the care they need," Murray
said. "This year, the (Department of Defense) had taken another step in the
wrong direction."
More than 23,000 Tricare beneficiaries are diagnosed with autism.
In their letter to Woodson, Murray and Gillibrand questioned whether Tricare had
consulted with experts on developmental disabilities, whether any other chronic
conditions require repeated testing for continued care and whether the tests
outlined in the rules are being used appropriately.
"Given the impact family health care plays on military readiness, it is
essential military families have assurances of continued health care," Murray
and Gillibrand wrote. "Policies inconsistent with good clinical practice only
serve to limit, restrict, delay and deny care."
<mailto:hlad.jennifer@xxxxxxxxxxx> hlad.jennifer@xxxxxxxxxxx
Twitter: @jhlad
-------
SOURCE: Stars & Stripes article at <http://www.stripes.com/news>
http://www.stripes.com/news
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