| A Biomedical Autism Doctor Explains Why Autism | | | | treating an autistic child with all of their medical |
| Treatment Can Be Costly | | | | complexities takes a tremendous amount of time |
| Money is always as issue when it comes to | | | | and education. |
| medical care. This is particularly true for parents | | | | A typical initial visit with a biomedical autism doctor |
| seeking treatment options for their autistic child. In | | | | can take 60 to 90 minutes, and follow-ups 30 to |
| many cases insurance companies do not pay (or | | | | 45 minutes. For most doctors if they were |
| pay limited amounts) for even traditional services | | | | submitting for insurance reimbursement under the |
| such as speech, occupational or behavioral | | | | typical HMO format their costs and overhead |
| therapy. Unfortunately, insurance coverage for | | | | would dictate most office visits to 10 to 15 |
| biomedical interventions such as supplement | | | | minutes. In most situations, this is just not enough |
| therapy, diagnostic medical testing, dietary | | | | time to provide the care that is needed to be a |
| services, etc. is limited as well. | | | | biomedical autism specialist. Furthermore, with the |
| There is no doubt that medical care is expensive - | | | | rising costs of running a medical practice - from |
| particularly when someone is paying out of | | | | office staff fees, insurance, workman' s |
| pocket. However, in many cases it has to be | | | | compensation, lease payments and more, the |
| done if a parent wants to get excellent care for | | | | fees that a physician charges (although it seems |
| their child. In the world of autism, particularly | | | | high) will barely cover a physician's overhead. If |
| biomedical interventions, many therapies are | | | | this doctor also has medical school debt (which for |
| out-of-pocket expenses because traditional | | | | many can be in the 10's to 100's of thousands of |
| insurance coverage is very limited in what it will | | | | dollars) the price of biomedical intervention can be |
| approve. This also goes for doctor visits and | | | | costly on both sides - for the parent and the |
| consults. | | | | physician. Aside from these issues, most doctors |
| One of the real issues in treating children on the | | | | providing this specialty service are doing so |
| autism-spectrum is the fees many doctors have | | | | because they want to help and serve the autism |
| to charge to stay in business. It is not uncommon | | | | community. The stark reality of running a practice |
| for a physician to charge $350 to $500 per hour | | | | and making a living, however, dictate the higher |
| for their service. Up front this seems extreme, | | | | prices for biomedical intervention. |
| but one must understand that the time involved in | | | | |