Advocates for disability, autism care brace for impact of health law provisions

The result of some elements of the health law that were initially viewed as victories are now not so clear-cut.

Stateline: Q&A: How ACA Will Affect People With Autism
Autism advocates celebrated what they thought was a major victory when President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010: They expected the law to require all insurance companies to cover pricey, potentially lifelong treatments for those with the incurable condition. But instead of creating a national standard for autism coverage, the administration bowed to political pressure from states and insurers and left it to states to define, within certain parameters, the "essential benefits" that insurance companies must provide (Vestal, 8/9).

The Oregonian: Disability Rights Advocates, Families Fight New Provision Of Affordable Care Act
Deana Copeland has cared for her 22-year-old, medically fragile daughter since she was born, but she's afraid that a new provision of the Affordable Care Act could force her to place her daughter in foster care. Her daughter, Andrea Hood, suffers from cerebral palsy, spina bifida and autonomic dysreflexia, a potentially life-threatening condition, and requires around-the-clock care (Zheng, 8/11).