FIVE facts you should know about Autism and the D-SNP population
April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges.?Here are FIVE things you should know about Autism and the dual-eligible population.
ONE: Autism is not all about children
Autism generally appears before the age of 3 and persists into adulthood. An estimated 5,437,988 (2.21%) adults in the United States have ASD.
TWO: Autism impacts physical health
Co-morbidities in adults with autism are common:
THREE: And mortality
Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
FOUR: Most adults with Autism are dual-eligible
The majority of white adults with autism (49.87%) are full-dual eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
FIVE: But, racial inequities exist
White autistic adults were more likely to be dual-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid compared to every other racial and ethnic group, even after controlling for gender, intellectual disability, chronic condition, county median income, rural county and geographic region of residence. This means that white autistic adults generally had more coverage options for health services than people of color.
Resources
National Institutes of Health (long term health)
National Institutes of Health (racial and ethnic disparities)
??????? ?? Expert | Advisor focusing on Healthcare | Best-Selling Author | Psychiatrist
1 年?? these numbers are surprising - we should be attentive to how we help individuals with IDD and Autism get the care they need ?? thanks for the insight Belong Health #bethechange #healthcareleadership