What Autism Speaks Can Do For You: Communications

2. What Autism Speaks Can Do For You:Communications Rick RemingtonCommunications Director – Government Relations

3. Communications Resources AutismVotes.org AutismSpeaks.org

4. AutismSpeaks.Org Awareness Family Services Science

5. AutismVotes.Org Advocacy Federal Initiatives Resources State Initiatives

6. State Initiatives

7. State-by-State Information • Autism Speaks-endorsed Bills • Bill Summary • Legislative History • Actuarial Studies • Press Releases • Action Items • Op-Eds • News Coverage

8. AutismVotes.OrgWhat’s Hot? September through mid-October TOTAL Page Views 223,531 California 55,764 State Initiatives 10,739 Michigan 4,154 New York 915 > 500 Florida Virginia Texas Massachusetts

9. Action Items • Outreach to advocacy community to phone, email, use Facebook to achieve a specific objective • Ability to target specific lawmakers, committees • Sent via eBlast, texting; static web display • Easily forwarded through Facebook, Twitter • Ability to track results

10. Facebook/Twitter Facebook Followers 14,430 909,808 Twitter 4,762 40,462

11. FRIENDING

12. Traditional Media An autism treatment worth funding A California bill would require insurance companies to cover the cost of applied behavioral analysis for the autistic. It's good policy. September 30, 2011 State law requires insurers to include coverage for autism in comprehensive healthcare policies. Now, lawmakers want to go a step further, requiring coverage of a particular autism treatment: applied behavioral analysis. Insurers are resisting. They don't question the effectiveness of the therapy; they just say it doesn't fit the definition of "medical" treatment. Their position reflects how crucial parts of the healthcare system are wedded to the status quo, regardless of what's best for patients. State lawmakers have passed a bill to overcome the insurers' resistance, and Gov. Jerry Brown should sign it Health insurers want taxpayers to pick up the tab for autism care By Peter Bell | 10/06/11 There they go again. The health insurance industry has once again made clear its policy of sticking California taxpayers with the bill of caring for children with autism. In an opinion piece published last week in Capitol Weekly, Patrick Johnston, the President and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, argued that applied behavior analysis (ABA), an evidence-based therapy, should be administered by untrained public school teachers rather than trained medical professionals. What goes unmentioned is that, under this switcheroo, the cost would be absorbed in local school taxes rather than by private insurers.

13. Resources FAQs Actuarial Studies Self-funded Plans

14. Under Construction Federal Health Care • How will implementation of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act impact autism benefits? • What will be included in ‘essential health benefits’? • What is the timeframe for implementation? • How do we tailor state autism insurance reform bills to account for implementation of the new federal health care law?

15. Go Forth Rick Remington Communications Director, Government Affairs rick.remington@autismspeaks.org 1 East 33rd Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10016 646.367.5334 www.autismvotes.org