Below, the press release from FAIR hammers Breslin almost as badly as the several statements Luke Martland has been making for months:
Autism Advocacy Groups Call on Governor Paterson to Veto Breslin Autism Bill.
Advocates Say Breslin Bill Favors Insurance Companies and Hurts Autism Families.
(August 17, 2010. Albany ) Fifteen New York-based autism advocacy groups and parents of children with autism today called on Governor David Paterson to veto the autism insurance bill sponsored by incumbent State Senator Neil Breslin. A bill that the groups say will deny insurance coverage and treatment for people suffering from autism spectrum disorders.
The bill would shift early intervention reimbursements costs from the insurers back to the counties and taxpayers. "S7000-B is a step backwards, not a step forward, in insurance coverage for Autism," said Kathy Eiss, president of the Western New York Chapter of the Autism Society of America."
"Insurance Chairman Neil Breslin's bill does not provide insurance coverage for people who suffer from autism," said Michael Smith, chairman and northeast regional director of the Foundation for Autism Information and Research. "Breslin's bill actually does more harm than good because it discriminates against people who suffer from autism and makes it nearly impossible for them to get treatment prescribed by their doctors."
News conferences with other autism groups are being held across New York State .
"The first line of S.7000 (Breslin's bill) mandates that health insurers cover treatment for people with autism. Unfortunately, the remainder of the bill wipes out the mandate and protects health insurers," said Thomas Abinanti, in a letter to the editor he wrote to the Journal News. Abinanti is a parent, attorney and member of the Westchester Board of Legislators. "The bill is another example of 'Albany Speak' - that is, to say you are solving a problem, then make it worse.," he wrote.
Autism advocates oppose the Breslin bill because it sets a standard for treatment for autism that must be "evidence-based, clinically proven and peer reviewed," which is not required for any other medical disorder or disease. S7000-B sets a standard that treatment for autism must be "evidenced based, clinically proven and peer reviewed," which is not required for any other medical disorder or disease. "Chemotherapy for certain conditions often does not meet these criteria, especially "clinically proven," but individuals are not denied coverage of chemotherapy." said Mary Shuetz, a Board Certified Developmental Pediatrician from East Aurora . "Even the use of antibiotics, which is much more of a
common occurrence, rarely follows these requirements."
Advocates also say that the Breslin bill will shift early intervention reimbursement costs from the insurance companies back to the counties and taxpayers.
Breslin is the chairman of the State Senate's insurance committee and has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance companies and lobbyists in
New York and elsewhere.
"If I told you that a legislator who receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurance companies sponsored a bill that was co-authored by a powerful lobbying firm that represents insurance companies your eyes would widen," said Chris Petrisino, parent and vice president of the Nassau-Suffolk Chapter of the Autism Society of America. "But that is what happened. And if this bill passes, our kids get screwed.'
Emphasis added - SP
Strong words from people who know what it means to be strong. This is a completely unexpected new wrinkle to this race and it will be interesting to see how it affects Breslin's bid for re-elction and the efforts of others to unseat him.
Which brings us to our final wrinkle: Autism could remain an angle of attack against Breslin depending on the outcome of the GOP "primary." Bear with me on the quotes there, but today, independently registered Michael Carey filed petitions to to run on a newly created third-party line in the general election. A short excerpt from today's Times Union Local Politics blog:
Carey Says He'll File 6,000 Signatures For REFORM Line
Bethlehem resident Michael Carey said he plans to file 6,000 signatures this afternoon with the Albany County Board of Elections to get on the ballot in the race for the 46th state Senate District.
Carey wanted to run as a Republican only to find out he was registered to vote but not enrolled in any party. Instead, he's mounting his campaign on the REFORM line, a ballot line he created using independent nominating petitions.
Carey only needed 3,000 signatures - which was still three times as many as the major-party candidates.
If he does indeed file twice that many, it will be heavy lift for anyone trying to get him knocked off the ballot. Invalidating 3,000 signatures is no easy task.
Carey's most likely opponent would be Republican Bob Domenici.
Seven-term incumbent Democrat Neil Breslin already faces a challenge within his own party from attorney Luke Martland. Whichever Democrat prevails in the primary would likely welcome the competition between Domenici and Carey for votes.
Emphasis added - SP
What's this got to do with autism? Well, Carey's son was named Jonathan, he was autistic, and New York State has Jonathan's Law because he died while under the care of health care aides three years ago. That sort of thing would turn me into a big activist, too, and Carey took that path and gained some local notoriety thanks to it: It was the lead of the story when he declared his candidacy for the GOP nomination.
Now I have to admit it was funny to watch Carey first insist that he'd be a Republican all his life then find out he actually wasn't when he first declared his candidacy against GOP-establishment-backed Domineci. But now the area's best-known autism activist has just formed The 2010 Third Party to challenge the a Senator on the same day his autism bill comes under heavy fire. That's a different story. And quite the surprise...
Stay tuned as this race continues to develop at it's new, improved rate of speed. |
