A bill to mandate private insurance coverage of autism treatments passed a crucial test Thursday, but state senators attached two amendments unrelated to battling the neurological disorder.

House Bill 1150 now includes regulatory authority by the state over the proposed merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross, the two largest health care companies in Pennsylvania.

The other amendment mandates insurance coverage of colorectal cancer screenings.

Senators on the Banking & Insurance Committee passed House Bill 1150 unanimously. The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The committee vote came after a recent study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containtment Council, which reported an increase of $1 per month in premiums for every insurance customer if the autism mandate became law.

The mandate caps private insurance coverage at $36,000. Businesses employing 50 people or less would be exempt from having to provide autism coverage.

The autism mandate passed the state House last year by a 194-0 vote. The prime sponsor is House Speaker Dennis O'Brien, a Philadelphia-area Republican whose 21-year-old nephew has autism.

E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com