Governor Rod Blagojevich made use of his amendatory veto power and rewrote a House bill requiring insurance companies to provide money to families having children that suffer from autism.

Autism is a spectrum of different disorders ranging in severity and in symptoms from the mild Asperger’s syndrome to more severe autism. The disease, characterized by poor social interactions, impaired communication and repetitive behavior, affects as many as 1 in every 150 kids in the U.S., according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Gov. Blagojevich, there are about 26,000 Illinois children suffering from autism. Currently, only people covered by large group insurers can get coverage for children with autism, but even so, they only get inpatient and outpatient mental health services.

The new bill would ask insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year for diagnosis and treatment, including psychiatric services and speech therapy. Also the bill would require insurance companies to pay doctor visits until a child is 21.

“Since most insurance companies do not cover the cost of treating autism, families can be torn apart and sent to the brink of financial ruin trying to care for their child. I am amending this legislation because insurance should never be an obstacle to children reaching their potential,” Gov. Blagojevich said as quoted by the CBS 2 Chicago.

The measure is not welcomed by the insurance industry, which has challenged similar bills, claiming they lead to rising health insurance costs.

However, autism advocates more than welcomed the bill. One of them, Peter DiCianni praised Gov. Blagojevich’s “landmark legislation” during a news conference at the Chicago Children’s Museum. DiCianni has a 5-year-old autistic daughter. Her treatment for a year rises to $80,000, which forced him to mortgage his home and raid his retirement savings.