Governor speaks on autism insurance at Dempster Hall

Gov. Jay Nixon, at podium, talks about autism spectrum disorder insurance reform Friday at Southeast Missouri State's Dempster Hall atrium in Cape Girardeau. Nixon wants to require insurance companies to pay for as much as $55,000 worth of behavioral treatment services annually for autistic children. He said earlier this week that coverage of the costly behavioral treatments should be an essential element of legislation that both the Democratic governor and Republican legislative leaders have pledged to make a priority next year. A similar bill passed the Senate in the last legislative session but did not come to a vote in the House.