Talk:Ryan's Law

Unsourced content
This version of the article contained a lot of material, but most of it is unsourced. Please use verifiable, reliable sources when adding any material back to the article. Whatever404 (talk) 16:44, 3 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I have a question. Can I sight to experts? How do I remove the tag that it's too short because it's obviously not now? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.252.67.2 (talk) 4:14, 24 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Do you mean "can I cite to experts"? I'm not sure what that means.  I did remove the stub template from the page.  Whatever404 (talk) 10:50, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

Unsourced content - two sections
The following two sections are lacking in sources. I have moved them here, pending sourcing. The first section needs sourcing, it has none. The second section espouses a specific point of view regarding what constitutes "meaningful" legislation; and claims that RL was a "catalyst" for laws in other states; better sources are needed.

Funding for autism therapies
 * See also: Autism therapies
 * Prior to the passage of Ryan’s Law, insurers refused to cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for autistic people, deeming it "experimental" or "educational", rather than medical. Exclusions were often difficult to recognize within the text of health insurance policies. Historically, some policies claimed to cover autism, but excluded these therapies.  An intensive therapy program often ranges from $25,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the severity of the child’s condition, geographic factors, and more.  The financial strain facing families with autism, coupled with the realization that many children could not access treatment at all simply because of cost, is what led Lorri Unumb to write the bill that became Ryan’s Law.

Impacts on Other States
 * Although one other state (Indiana in 2001) had passed meaningful autism insurance legislation at the time the South Carolina legislature acted in 2007, the passage of Ryan’s Law served as a catalyst for massive reform efforts around the country. Virtually every state has either considered or passed similar legislation following the passage of Ryan’s Law.


 * In 2007, the Texas legislature approved a bill to require insurance coverage for children with autism from ages 3-5; that law was amended in 2009 to expand the age range. In 2008, five more states followed suit:  Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.  The non-profit advocacy and research organization Autism Speaks embraced autism insurance reform as one of its primary goals, which led to more action and greater awareness of the need to pass legislation in the states and federally.


 * In 2009, seven states passed autism insurance legislation: New Mexico, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.  Federal legislation known as the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act is pending in Congress.

—Whatever404 (talk) 16:52, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Autism Speaks source
Either should fully include what they say on that link or we shouldn't include them at all to avoid POV issues against them. Doc Quintana (talk) 15:37, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

They were changed from what I had done previously. What was done previously was cited and objective. The varying numbers were an adjustment. I will re-do the respective articles to what can be cited properly and objectively soon. 129.252.67.2 (talk) 15:53, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Can the tags be removed? The factual accuracy is no longer disputed —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.147.198.251 (talk) 18:33, 31 May 2010 (UTC)

Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award to Lorri Shealy Unumb
There may now be a significantly greater amount of information on the web available to use for reference, because Lorri Shealy Unumb (the bill's author) just won the 2012 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Betty Jane France is the widow of NASCAR's late president Bill France Jr.. Note that Mrs. Unumb is also the daughter of the late senator Ryan Shealy (South Carolina politician). Gmporr (talk) 06:19, 1 December 2012 (UTC)