Today’s ruling by the US Supreme Court that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional is a tremendous victory for the American public, including millions of underserved families currently uninsured and children and adults who were denied insurance due to autism, mental health, and other pre-existing conditions.

With autism as the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, affecting one in every 88 children (and 1 in 54 boys), mental health conditions currently account for a major portion of pre-existing conditions. The Affordable Care Act will ensure that every child and adult living with a pre-existing health condition –such as autism and other developmental and mental health issues – will be protected by the law by 2014.

“This law will provide much needed assistance to the millions of minority families affected by developmental disabilities that face daily health struggles in the face of poverty,” said SNN President & Co-Founder Areva Martin, Esq.

Behavioral health treatment is listed in the Affordable Care Act as one of 10 “essential health benefits” required by each state to adopt, which will ensure coverage for autism therapies such as Applied Behavior Analysis, as well as other forms of treatment such as prescription drugs, and habilitative and wellness services for those in need.