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August 2013
Chrysler launches employee benefits program for treatment of autism
Chrysler Group LLC has created an Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder Pilot Program for salaried employees and their eligible dependents.
The program, which took effect July 1, applies to workers who are Michigan residents enrolled in Chrysler’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Healthy Blue ChoicesSM. It offers benefit coverage for applied behavior analysis treatment and other autism services that are rendered by a Michigan-based provider.
Letters were sent to employees in June notifying them of the pilot program and associated benefit changes.
Important things to know about the program:
- Chrysler employees will be subject to copayments, as well as deductibles and coinsurance.
- All eligible dependents will have their ABA treatment, psychotherapy and nutritional counseling covered. They qualify for the program until they turn 19; when they reach that age, their benefits will expire at the end of their birth month.
- ValueOptions, which handles Chrysler’s mental health services, will coordinate benefits. ABA providers who currently have Chrysler clients will need to call 1-800-346-7651 to set up a discussion with ValueOptions’ Provider Relations department.
Chrysler is also expanding coverage for physical, occupational and speech therapies used to treat ASD and congenital and severe developmental disorders.
There are a few provisions:
- Eligible dependents can only receive speech therapy services until the end of the month in which they turn 7.
- A maximum of 100 speech therapy visits will be covered, but there is no limit on physical and occupational therapy sessions.
- Claims for physical, speech and occupational therapies that date back to Jan. 1, 2013, will be reprocessed.
The pilot program complies with Michigan’s Autism Insurance Reform legislation and is expected to last until the end of 2014.
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