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One Year After Benefit Began, Are Kids in Medi-Cal Getting Autism Treatment?

In a California Healthline report by Deirdre Kennedy, experts discussed the state’s effort to implement autism treatment for children as a Medi-Cal benefit. Advocates have said the waiting list to go through a lengthy evaluation process has slowed access to autism therapy, and health plans have had a difficult time setting up provider networks without a state rate structure.

The report includes comments from:

  • Sarah Brooks, deputy director of health care delivery systems at the California Department of Health Care Services;
  • Kelly Hardy, the senior managing director of health policy at Children Now, a children’s health advocacy group based in Sacramento;
  • Kristin Jacobson, president of Autism Deserves Equal Coverage, an autism therapy advocacy group based in Burlingame; and
  • Sarah Trautman-Eslinger, founder of Berkeley-based STE Consultants, which provides ABA therapy services (Kennedy, California Healthline, 09/16/15).

You can download a PDF of this report.

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