Fight Back For Autism
Mission:
Fight Back for Autism is a new FBIC division with two missions
for children with a diagnosis within the autism spectrum.
The first mission is to identify, rank and publish the names of the insurance companies who are willingly paying autism coverage
claims properly and promptly (Good Faith) and/or willingly denying and not paying insurance coverage (Bad Faith)
or "underpaying for the service" by paying below the published Medicare Fee
Schedule Rate. By "discounting" and paying a claim below the Medicare Fee
Schedule Rate, many providers cannot afford to become "network providers"
because the insurance company is not paying enough for the service. The parents
are then forced to pay for the difference which should have been paid by the
insurance company. There is also a third "BAD FAITH" technique presently used by many insurance companies. They advertise that
they will pay for a specific service, and then set their fees BELOW the high deductible, and therefore the insurance company will never
have to pay for the "advertised" service. The deductible will always be higher than what the insurance companies pays for the service.
To identify, rank and publish the names of the insurance companies that are in
BAD FAITH, FBIC Fight Back For Autism asks parents to Submit A
'Good-faith Insurance Survey (Plaudit)'
or Submit A
'Bad-faith Insurance Survey (Complaint)' ...
and then join with FBIC to "FIGHT BACK" to make positive changes. This
includes making
your congressional leaders aware of this website by sending this website page
link "www.badfaithinsurance.org/fightbackforautism.html"
to your state congressional leaders, especially those leaders on state insurance committees. [Note: In time, we will have a "Good-faith
ranking and "Bad-faith ranking" list for health related autism insurers so you will also know which insurers 'To BUY' health
insurance from to assure that Autistic Spectrum children
receive full access to medical & therapy services as well as adequate reimbursement from insurance companies for these services.
Once this Health-autism related insurers list is published, one way for you to Fight Back is to only BUY insurance from Good Faith
insurers and Not Buy from Bad faith insurers.]
FBIC has embarked on a second
mission to convert a pre-existing owned facility and structure on ten acres of
land, build and open a full service AUTISM DIAGNOSTIC And THERAPEUTIC CENTER in Guilford,
Vermont. Fight Back For Autism needs to raise the necessary funds from donations
from the Public and grants to make possible and facilitate the existing facility
construction and conversion for beginning operations. Similar to the medical model of the Mayo Clinic where there is a key
medical person assigned to each patient who oversees and guides the evaluation
process while constantly keeping the parent/child informed during the process,
this full service diagnostic center will be a place where parents can bring
their children to be evaluated and or treated onsite. The range of services
offered will span from medical (including Dan Doctors), psychological,
nutritional, therapies ranging from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy,
Speech Therapy, Bio Feedback, ABA Therapy, Sensory Processing Therapy, DIR//Floortime
Therapy, Audiology, Social Skills programs, Onsite Home Visits, Onsite School
Visits, School Advocates, IEP Parent Education, Pet Therapy, Therapeutic
Horseback Riding and more to be added Â….. Onsite family housing is a goal once
the Diagnostic Center is open and running.
Below are a few excellent educational
videos on autism:
Early intervention is important for children with autism, a developmental disorder that inhibits socialization. So be on the lookout for warning signs: How-To-Recognize-The-Early-Signs-Of-Autism (Video)
Early intervention is the key to improving the outlook for a child with autism, a neurological disorder that impairs communication and social skills. Here are several strategies you may want to consider: How-To-Help-A-Child-With-Autism (Video)
The earlier you recognize a learning disability, the sooner you can help your child to cope. Follow these steps to identify how your child might be struggling: How-To- Recognize-A-Learning-Disability (Video)
FULL SERVICE AUTISM CENTERS offering an array of diagnostic, therapeutic and biomedical interventions are needed across America. Children diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum have a wide variety of physical and psychological abnormalities and symptoms. The one size fits all theory cannot be used with these children. As children improve and develop, different types of therapy must be easily and fully accessible to the child.
Parents need full access to diagnostic centers to be able to keep the momentum of improvement ongoing. Just like medications, the need to evaluate and change the dosage of medication on a regular basis also applies to the Autism Spectrum Disorder population. The types and amounts of interventions required at different stages of development need to be evaluated, modified, and changed on an ongoing basis. The school environment also needs to become an integrated component of all therapeutic goals.
Many states have passed legislation that mandate insurance companies must pay for therapy services if a child has been diagnosed as having Autism, or a diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum. Many insurance companies are denying specific therapy services if they include services such as Sensory Processing or Sensory Integration. The insurance companies have written “local medical policies” to deny these services as experimental or unsubstantiated, citing outdated research or stating that longer or larger case studies are needed.
Another common method of service denial used by insurance companies is to underpay therapy providers by paying them below the cost to provide the therapy service. The therapy providers then cannot become “in network providers” because they will lose money with each child treated. The insurance company then will pay an even lower amount to the parent because the parent has chosen to use an “out of the network” provider. The parent then has to pay the difference.
The majority of insurance companies across America are wrongfully paying 50% below the Federal Medicare PhysicianÂ’s Fee schedule.
Therapy providers across the nation are video taping therapy sessions to document the rapid and substantial progress. Intensive therapy at a therapy center (not at home), for a minimum of 3x a week, for 30 sessions is proving to be much more beneficial to the child than seeing a therapist at home 1x a week. These children need to change and modify the way their brains receive and process information.
Therapy at home, without the use of specialized equipment 1x a week, is not enough to create new neuronal pathways in the brain. Home programs conducted by parents are indeed important, but as an additional component to intensive therapy. Early diagnosis before the age of two gives the child a “gift of time” to begin to correct and modify the problematic areas giving rise to the diagnosis of Autism.
The New "FIGHTBACK FOR AUTISM" website under construction will contain:
- New Survey relating to Medical & Therapy Services being Paid for by GovÂ’t or Insurance Companies vs Private Pay by Parents
- Services being Denied by Insurance Companies, and/or School Systems
- Advocate Data Base
- Amazon's Online Special Needs Toy Store Health, Growth & Independence
- Also Check Out Skil-Care's New Line of Special Needs Gel Toys and Their new Crash Pad
- Blog Pages on Resources for Parents and Therapists
Below are a few outstanding non-profit organizations which have excellent informational websites:
www.starcenter.us
www.SPDFoundation.net
www.tacanow.org
FBIC Membership Is Free To Victims Of Bad Faith Insurers. FBIC welcomes all who are victims of bad faith insurers including those with autistic children who have been denied benefits to become an FBIC member (its free and only takes a minute or two) by completing FBIC's online Insurance Complaint Bad Faith Survey. asks for your support and help to
on FBIC's Fight Back For Autism secure online server where Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards are accepted. Donations will go directly towards conversion of the existing owned building and land, and to constructing state-of-the-art facilities for The DIAGNOSTIC and THERAPEUTIC AUTISM CENTER and facilities for parents and guests in Guilford, Vermont as well as providing scholarships to children.
E-Mail "Autism" and "Fight Back For Autism inquiries and comments to: FightBackForAutism@gmail.com
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