Action Alert — Please ask your Senators to support Behavioral Health Care for children of military families

On November 19, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced amendment 2265 to provide access to behavioral health treatment, including applied behavioral analysis (ABA), to children and adults with developmental disabilities in the health care system for military families (TRICARE). A similar provision was passed by the House in June. Decades of research show the effectiveness of behavioral health care for children with significant developmental disabilities to be successful in school and live independently. TRICARE currently provides limited coverage of ABA under three different programs

BACKGROUND
Many families in the military services have difficulty obtaining behavioral health treatment for their children with autism and other developmental disabilities.  Decades of research show the effectiveness of behavioral health care for children with significant developmental disabilities to be successful in school and live independently.

Senator Murray (D-WA) and Senator Gillibrand (D-NY)  introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would provide access to behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), to children and adults with developmental disabilities under the health care system for military families (called TRICARE).  The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Murray (D-WA), Gillibrand (D-NY), Harkin (D-IA), Wyden (D-OR), Schatz (D-HI), Donnelly (D-IN), Brown (D-OH), Menendez (D-NJ), Blumenthal (D-CT) and Begich (D-AK).

TAKE ACTION
Call your Senators today (you can find their information from this website — http://capwiz.com/thearc/callalert/index.tt?alertid=63004726) and ask them to support the Murray/Gillibrand amendment 2265 to the National Defense Authorization Act to provide essential behavioral health treatment to children in military families with autism or other developmental disabilities.

WHAT TO SAY:      

• I am calling to ask Senator _________ to support amendment 2265 offered by Senators Murray and Gillibrand to the National Defense Authorization Act.
• This amendment would expand behavioral health treatment under the TRICARE program for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities in military families.

Please contact Pamela Polacsek at (518) 587-0723 ext. 1255 or ppolacsek@saratogabridges.org  if you need further assistance. 

Thank you for your support.