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It was a HUGE victory for military families last week in the House - Chairman Buck McKeon added Larson's CMKAA (HR2288) to the NDAA as an amendment by unanimous consent to bring autism treatments under basic TRICARE entitlements!
On to the Senate! Our thousands of military families with children on the autism spectrum, not getting recommended treatments, ask Ms. Maddow to highlight our story ASAP as we await NDAA markup in the Senate!
Thank you,
Mrs. Rachel Kenyon,
Wife to Command Sergeant Major William Kenyon, 1st BN 102nd IN (MTN)
Mother of two beautiful babes, one with autism.
***
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Ellis Brachman (202) 225-1400
May 18, 2012
Larson Measure to Help Military Children with Autism Included in Defense Bill
Congressman Says Local Advocacy Critical to Measure’s Success
WASHINGTON – In a huge victory for military families
struggling with autism, the annual defense budget that was passed by the House
of Representatives today includes an important provision authored by
Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) that will ensure that TRICARE – the military
healthcare program – fully covers the treatments that military kids with autism
need.
Larson’s measure, the Caring for Military Kids with Autism
Act (H.R. 2288), which had 70 bipartisan cosponsors, was written in response to
the appeal of a constituent – Rachel Kenyon, the wife of Sergeant Major William
Kenyon of the Connecticut National Guard and mother of two – who spoke out at
an event about the many struggles that military families with children with
autism face with their TRICARE coverage.
“Today, the House of Representatives affirmed its commitment
that just as we leave no soldier behind, we leave no military family behind
either,” Larson said. “This would not
have happened without the determination and strength of Rachel and the
thousands of parents just like her fighting every day for their kids. With this action in the House today, we did
right by Rachel and her family, as well as military families across the country
by honoring their sacrifices by making sure they do not face barriers in access
to care for their children that have an autism diagnosis.”
“I want to thank Representative Walter Jones, who was the
lead sponsor on the Caring for Military Kids with Autism Act; Chairman McKeon
and Ranking Member Smith, and all of the cosponsors of the Caring for Military
Kids with Autism Act on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to make this
happen,” Larson added.
Specifically, the language included in the National Defense
Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) will ensure that the children of Army, Navy,
Air Force, and Marine Corps members that have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
diagnosis will no longer face caps in TRICARE on a behavioral health treatment,
known as applied behavior analysis. It
would also ensure that the children of military retirees that have an ASD
diagnosis would have access to applied behavior analysis treatment.
Congressman Larson voted for final passage of the NDAA,
although he had some concerns with other provisions included in the bill.
“While I am concerned with some of the other provisions of
this legislation, I voted for final passage because passing this bill was the
right thing to do to move the process forward, and I am confident that many of
the differences can be addressed when the bill is considered in conference.”
The legislation must now be approved by the Senate before it
can become law.
# # #
And what about all the Vietnam Vets that have been tossed out in the cold???
Guess kids with Autism are much more important.
No one human being is more important than another. But please take into consideration that thousands of military families (brothers and sisters of the military family as a whole, all veterans) have been begging for treatments for their military dependents with autism and only civilian legislation has been a success so far. This bill brings military families onto the same playing field as civilians.
Funding for this bill does not take away from care for ANY veterans, it simply closes a loophole currently denying our military children treatments that otherwise disappear when a service member is forced to medically retire due to injury or disease (Wounded Warriors), or after 20 years of service.
It is a bill which champions all veteran families.
Again what about the 1000's of Vietnam vets that have been forgotten about?
They very people that got drafted, then sent to a war, came back home to be treated like common criminals.
GI's suffering from the effects of agent orange, is just one issue.
Screw those Vets I guess..
Rachel
Congratulations! I hope the bill has a speedy passage through the Senate then onto the President for signing.
stupidita
Instead of complaining here why don't you go and complain to your Representative and Senators. There the ones how have the ability to do something. I'm pretty sure that's what Rachel did. Also if you want to be taken seriously should your moniker be stupidita? Really?!
Why does one have to have been in the military or have had a family member in the military for our government to take notice or move to action? Every good citizen should be equal.
Agreed. That's why it is unfair that the medical insurance given to military families does not cover medications prescribed to autistic children. It requires legislative action to change what is and what is not covered by military insurance (called Tricare) to close this hole. This is not giving extra care to military families, but rather the same level of care that most civilians currently enjoy.
Agreed. And this legislation opens the door to national autism insurance reform for EVERY child and adult with autism.
We have to start somewhere. This is the first successful campaign for federal legislation regarding healthcare for autism.
Let's support it, applaud it, and move forward using this as a tool to further inclusion!
Yea that will put the over 12 million people that are out of work, back to work...
Force people to pay into the federal government so the people with autism get a free ride.
And just who is going to pay for this??? Oh that's right the tax payers.
Just what we need more tax burden on the working people of America.
Stupita, Really? These are the people like myself who unselfishly enlist to help protect our Country. The least we can do is make sure their families are protected. You are simply unpatriotic Stupid One. Just Saying!
I made the mistake of looking at the eclipse, so, it looked like a constellation, in 3D of course.