Since we live in a first world country, you would think that everyone has a right to health insurance. The fact is that not everyone has the luxury of being on a healthcare plan. Some people who seek coverage are completely denied the option of having it. A few weeks ago The Charlotte Observer published an article that discussed how North Carolina is behind 29 other states in the country that have passed autism insurance reform legislation.
The article stated that those with autism in this state “face discrimination by health insurance policies that specifically exclude treatment for autism and development disabilities.” Right now it is legal for healthcare companies to deny coverage to autistic individuals in this state.
UNC Charlotte senior Joe Campo mentioned that he tried to get a quote from several healthcare insurance companies including Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana and was rejected from all of them for being autistic. He hopes to move to one of the states that have passed legislation making it illegal to discriminate against those with autism. “There’s a giant stigma against people with mental problems that doesn’t exist for people with physical problems,” said Campo. “I don’t think there’s enough awareness.”
Think about it. It’s not much different from denying healthcare to someone because they have diabetes or because they are elderly. What’s especially baffling to me is that early treatment of children with autism makes it significantly more possible for them to enter the workforce later in life. Why wouldn’t we want to give everyone a fair chance to succeed?
Although Campo is a little disenchanted with how the healthcare system works in this state, he hasn’t completely given up on the possibility of improved conditions for autistic North Carolinians. He said, “I think there’s hope for North Carolina, maybe things could change in a year but as of now I would be denied. But I don’t know what the case is for everyone.”
For those who have asked me why I don’t believe in a free market, this is why. I don’t want to live in a state that denies healthcare coverage to someone just because they have a preexisting condition as if it’s their fault that they have it in the first place. The idea that people would rather make more money and look the other way than be compassionate citizens honestly scares me.
Online news publications have covered this topic many times and of course it’s nearly impossible to not read the comments. Many of the responses to these articles put the blame and responsibility on the parents. But how on earth is a parent supposed to give their autistic child the treatment they need if companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Humana refuse to cover them? Do some people really believe that having healthcare is a privilege and not a right?
The Autism Spectrum Disorder is very complex and incredibly difficult to understand even if you have someone in your life with Autism. And I’m sure that if you knew someone that experienced severe sensory issues, needed counseling and therapy on a weekly basis and just wanted to be successful in life, you would have wanted them to have the same advantages everyone else does instead of just saying “sorry, you’re going to have to fend for yourself.”