Filling the Autism Void
本帖最后由 Charlie Z. Song 于 09-10-18 04:43 编辑The Boston Globe Saturday, October 17, 2009 (Opinoon)
By Doug Flutie
Massachusetts may have the best health care in teh country, but it doesn't cover the treatment for the fastest growing health threat to children--autism.
Autism affects brain function and impairs communication, social interaction, and sensory modulation skills. The most recent statistics show that 1 in 91 children has autism, with the incidence four times as high in boys.
More than 500 babies born this year in Massachusetts will soon be diagnosed with autism. What their parents will learn first--what my wife, Laurie, and I have learned from our son Doule--is that while the hopes and dreams for their child may change, they will also intensify.
parents will learn that, with early intervention, children with autism can make significant strides--a fact backed up by extensive studies. They will find that their pediatricians and neurologists will prescribe intense one-on-one speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapies. And then they'll be dismayed t odiscover that, though they've always paid their health care premiums, their health plans will not cover these services.
Why don't health plans cover treatments for the fastest-growing health threat to children? There is a contradiction between the role of schools versus that of medicine and health plans. Federal law stiplates that schools porvide services necessary to allow all children to "access the curriculum." While critical to helping children with autism excel in the classroom, this in no way replaces their need for therapy to improve long-term brain functioning--not only to get through an average day, but to lay the foundation for the rest of their lives.
School superintendents are powerful in asking health plans to step up to ensure that children with autism, like all others, are sent to school ready to learn. They expect health plans to provide glasses to students with poor eyesight, or even chemotherapy to children with cancer, so they have every right to expect that children with autism will receive out-of-school autism therapy.
Those of us who can afford it (comfortably or through extreme means) see the incredible difference these services make in our children's ability to communicate, learn, function as part of the family and the community, and simply stay safe.
Those who can't afford it cace the pain of being unable to give their child services proven to radically improve thier developmental outlook.
Autism coverage isn't just the right thing; it's the financially smart thing. This coverage will cost just $2.28 per member per month. Alternatively, the average lifetime cost for an adult with autism is estimated as $3.2 million. Research shows that with effective early intensive intervention up to 47 percent of individuals can lead independent lives without state-funded supports. Additionally, they will each make an estimated $1.7 million contribution as taxpayers, bringing the actual savings of autism coversage per person to $4.9 million. While not all individuals will achieve this outcome, even moderate gains result in significant savings to taxpayers.
The Legislature is considering a bill tht requires health plans to treat autism as a medical condition and pay for its treatments. Fifteen states have already passes similar legislation. This state needs to join them in ending insurance discrimination against people with autism. 谢谢老查 不客气，希望有些帮助，启发。。。 本帖最后由 blackeye 于 09-10-18 11:02 编辑
谢谢查理。大致翻译一下：
这篇文章是在呼吁麻省步其他十五个州的后尘，从立法上将自闭症的干预和治疗划为医疗保健系统的责任而不是教育系统的责任。这样自闭症孩子的各种治疗比如一对一的语言治疗，感统，行为疗法，就可以由保险金来支付。目前的情况是，有钱的人自费，没钱的人望洋兴叹。
文章讲了自闭症病例的攀升，讲了早期干预的重要性，讲了父母们对自闭儿的期望。
麻省有着美国最好的医疗保健系统，但是到目前为止，这个系统不覆盖自闭症的干预和治疗。这是因为联邦法律规定，学校应当提供一切服务使所有的孩子都能跟上教学大纲的要求。文章争辩说，自闭症治疗不仅是为了使孩子能在学校学习，而且是为了他们能对付日常生活，为将来打基础。学校有权利要求医疗系统为自闭症儿童提供相应的服务，就像他们可以要求医疗系统为近视的孩子配眼镜，为患癌症的孩子提供化疗一样。
文章说，使医疗保险覆盖自闭症的治疗从经济效益上讲也是划算的。它只需要每人每月多交2.28美元。而一个自闭症成人一生要花320万美元（这可能说的是由国家抚养）。有研究认为，早期干预可以使47%的人独立生活，无须国家负担。那么这些人不仅不需要花国家的钱，而且每人可以为国家创造170万美元的税收。这样一来一个人就可以为国家节省490万美元。 BLACKEYE， 您的翻译很棒！！！ 我2万美金就可以过得不错 翻译得真不错，我昨天也想翻译来着，左右觉得翻不好，就放弃了。。。
谢谢
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