Medicaid autism aid granted reprieve

"Children with autism will continue receiving specialized services through Ohio's health insurance program for the poor, blind and disabled" at least through April 1, 2008. (Source: "Reprieve for autism aid," Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 27, 2007.) The Strickland administration had planned to alter Medicaid billing rules on autism starting at the first of the year, with a Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) hearing on the matter scheduled for next week. "The rules proposed by (Department of Job and Family Services) and the Department of Mental Health would prevent providers from billing the state's Medicaid program for autism services that don't match the federal guidelines. The proposal sparked considerable outrage from families of children with autism who said they would be cut off from critical treatment." (Source: Gongwer Ohio Report, November 27, 2007.)

ODJFS spokesman Dennis Evans said, "We agreed at this point to hold rules to provide more time to reach out to families, addressing their needs and helping them find solutions to their concerns." However, the agencies plan to re-file the rules without any major changes for JCARR consideration in January 2008, with an effect start date in April of that year.