Monroe County Executive Bello calls on Gov. Hochul to expand coverage for early intervention support

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC)— Monroe County Executive Adam Bello is calling for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make sure kids in New York with special needs can get the help they need paid for.

During a speech Saturday he urged the governor to sign a bill to push insurance companies to pay for early intervention programs for children with developmental delays and disabilities.

The programs serve children from birth to two years old where there is a high risk of delay, a suspected delay in development, or a confirmed diagnosis of developmental disability.

Bello says many children with a critical need for the services are being put on a waitlist.

"What these resources mean to our children is that they no longer have to wait on waiting lists," Bello said. "It means that when they’re ready and need help and services, that those services will be available to them. And the services we’re talking about. It’s speech therapy, it’s occupational therapy, and it’s for those young children before they really reach school age so that we make those investments early and it gives them all the tools they need to succeed."

According to figures shared during the speech, from 2016 through 2020, an average of 85% of early intervention claims were denied by insurance companies and an average of 28% of claims were denied by Medicaid.

To learn more about Monroe County’s EIP check out this page.