California court supports coverage for autism therapy

(Reuters) – A California appeals court has ruled that state regulators and health insurers cannot deny coverage for an intensive
autism treatment on the grounds that the therapy was not provided by a licensed physician or psychologist.
A three-judge panel on Wednesday found that, due to a recent change in California law, the treatment, known as applied
behavior analysis, should be covered even when it is given by specialists certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification
Board, the profession’s private credentialing body.
Consumer Watchdog, a California consumer advocacy group, sued the state’s insurance regulator, the Department of
Managed Health Care, in 2009 to require health plans to cover the treatment when it was provided by a certified, but
unlicensed, therapist.

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