Monday, April 27, 2009

Senator Gumm Comments on Passage of SB 135

The State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF SENATOR JAY PAUL GUMM
Atoka, Bryan, Coal, Johnston & Marshall Counties

April 27, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Senator Jay Paul Gumm
State Capitol: (405) 521-5586
Durant: (580) 924-2221
Mobile: (580) 920-6990

Note to Editors: Senator Jay Paul Gumm, author of the original Nick’s Law that would have required insurance companies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of Autism, issued the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 135 today.

“Unfortunately today’s passing of Senate Bill 135 will do nothing to ease the pressure on the families who so desperately seek coverage for the therapy necessary to bring their child out of the shadows of Autism. There is nothing in this bill to reduce the costs of these therapies. The pressure that is being eased by this bill is political pressure on a group of politicians who have stood up time and time again and said, 'Absolutely not' to Nick’s Law. They will now be able to stand up and say, 'We did something.' Sadly, that 'something' falls woefully short for these families who deserve better than this.”

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Senator Gumm-you are 100% correct. There will be no autism providers that will come to this state without an income stream for payment.

This bill also gives $300k to a group to study a therapy that has been studied for 30 years and has been proven to be the most effective in helping these children. But what do we do, we spend $300k of the taxpayer's money to pay a group of people to study ABA therapy. What a joke!

I guess what will happen to this bill is nothing since it will probably not get funded because of budget cuts and the GOP knows this.....

The name of this bill should have been called the GOP's Disingenuous bill for autism. Robyne Rohde