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| This is the third grant the Autism Insurance Resource Center has received from the Flutie Foundation. |
The Autism Insurance Resource Center at UMass Medical School’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center has been awarded its third grant from the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism Inc. to support its technical assistance program, which helps caregivers of children and adults on the autism spectrum access coverage for autism treatments.
“We are the only state that has a center of this kind,” said Amy K. Weinstock, founding director of the resource center and herself the parent of a young adult on the autism spectrum. “It has made a tremendous difference in helping parents get access to coverage.”
“What is appealing about AIRC is they focus on broad autism advocacy and also go out of their way to provide technical assistance to families,” said Lisa Borges, the Flutie Foundation’s executive director. “They are able to reach and impact a large population here in Massachusetts.”
The funding will be used to provide individual assistance to families who have questions or concerns about coverage for autism-related treatments. Families may need help in a variety of ways, Weinstock said. Some need to understand what their insurance does and does not cover, and how to acquire secondary insurance policies, if necessary.
“Insurance is complex and confusing, and we help parents figure out how to get what they need,” Weinstock said.
