In this Associcated Press photo, paraprofessional Jessica Wein helps Josh Nazzaro, who lives with autism, with his classwork while attending class virtually from his home in Wharton, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. In Pa., a change a state policy change is barring some children with autism from being covered by Medical Assistance for a type of one-on-one therapy.
Seth Wenig / AP
Seth Wenig / AP
In this Associcated Press photo, paraprofessional Jessica Wein helps Josh Nazzaro, who lives with autism, with his classwork while attending class virtually from his home in Wharton, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. In Pa., a change a state policy change is barring some children with autism from being covered by Medical Assistance for a type of one-on-one therapy.
Under the policy change that was set to take effect Jan. 17, children who attend therapy at clinics will no longer be able to have those services paid for by federal Medical Assistance. This therapy helps the children learn crucial skills and reach milestones, such as communicating and interacting with others.
There are more than 100,000 children in Pennsylvania living with autism, and this policy change will impact those who receive services in a clinic setting.
Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss the issue and the impact are Brett Sholtis, WITF Transforming Health Reporter, Michelle DeMarsh, founder of Pennsylvania Autism Action Center and Kathleen Bailey Stengel, CEO of NeurAbilities Healthcare.
The demand for green energy is only increasing as the world looks for more sustainable energy options. Solar power is one such option experiencing significant growth. In fact, Pennsylvania is on the cusp of a solar development boom.
Rachel McDevitt, StateImpact PA reporter, is covering the controversy, along with some of the misinformation about solar power and she appears on Smart Talk Tuesday.
