Weldon: Gone; Next: Barrar
by Joe?Pulcinella
I've got to break up the serious talk with a little comedy and there is no better source of comedy that the email newsletters I receive from my own state rep, Steve Barrar. Whether it's reversing the laws of supply and demand (check his videos of his "investigation" of gas price gougers - he gets completely owned by a fuel wholesaler and doesn't know what to do) or sticking his finger to the wind on advice on where to come down on gun control, he's always amusing.
Anyway, I started replying to him and will be posting it all here.
On April 18, Rep. Stephen Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) attended a rally hosted by Speaker Dennis O?Brien (R-Philadelphia) to introduce legislation that would require insurance companies to cover autism treatment.? O?Brien also signed House Resolution 2, cosponsored by Barrar, recognizing April as Autism Awareness Month.
Dear Editor:
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Every 21 minutes a child is diagnosed with autism. It is estimated that one in 150 children in the United States is affected by the disorder, with the average age of detection being 6 years old. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for successfully managing autism, but most insurance companies do not currently cover autism services. This costs Pennsylvania as much as $85 million per year because many families turn to the Commonwealth?s Medical Assistance program for services.
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Along with many of my colleagues in the Legislature, I have urged the Rendell administration for more than 4 years to work with the private insurance industry to recognize autism as a covered disorder. Doing so would offer parents much needed benefits and also alleviate the burden on the Department of Welfare.? It would be a win-win scenario for Pennsylvania.
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Recently, Speaker of the House Dennis O?Brien introduced legislation that would require insurance companies to cover autism treatment. The legislation, House Bill 1150, would require the insurance industry to provide up to $3,000 per month in autism services for individuals diagnosed with the disorder. New York, Indiana and Illinois have already passed similar measures.
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I am supporting Speaker O?Brien?s legislation because for too long our families have been burdened with the financial and emotional costs of an insurance system that ignores autism. It is time for Pennsylvania?s insurance companies to start taking responsibility for the treatment of autism so we do not lose a segment of this generation of children to the disorder.?
Sincerely,Stephen E. Barrar
State Representative
160th District
Now, before you call me unfair or mean-spirited or telling me that I hate kids, understand that this man holds a powerful position - one that can adverse affect me, my wallet and the future of my children. Whenever he opens his mouth with some great, new idea, he is threatening me to comply with the full coercive power of Harrisburg. So with that in mind, please read my response:
Before we start jumping on the autism bandwagon, please consider the fact that the number of autism cases has risen dramatically in recent years due to feel-good legislation and bad court precedents in other regions (see the April 9, 2007 issue of Forbes) that have continually expanded the definition of autism. All you will do is to guarantee that more kids will be diagnosed with autism as parents of children with any sort of behavior abnormality (real or perceived) will see this as a ticket on the Gravy Train. Forcing insurance companies to take on this loser will mean LESS people will be able to afford insurance and that people who are now marginally employed will be UNemployed due to the increased cost to businesses. Besides, although I don't have my pocket edition of the state Constitution handly, I am willing to bet a paycheck that autism relief is not mentioned as one of your job functions.
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Cradle-to-grave, nanny-state social solutions have failed every time they've been tried. And although the amount spent would be difficult to see, the true burden to society cannot be seen because we can never calculate the productivity that was sucked out of the economy to finance this scheme. Just ask France. Although Bastiat warned of "what is seen and what is not" 150 years ago, his own government disregarded his warning and is today hailed as a leading welfare state with almost no production to speak of and riots by young people wanting more and more handouts from their broke government. Other modern Utopian societies that have adopted this full-featured type of welfare scheme are the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Communist Cuba.
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I look forward to hearing back from you.
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Joe Pulcinella