In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. Scams plague the world of autism. Some involve shady or abusive providers.
American autism care providers who backed the Trump administration's crackdown on Medicaid fraud are now sounding the alarm, warning that efforts to root out abuse could have unintended consequences after reimbursement cuts put therapy for Georgia foster children at risk.
The Autism Families Alliance, which describes itself as a national advocacy organization dedicated to supporting Applied Behavior Analysis providers and the families who rely on their services, said that efforts by the Trump administration and state leaders to fight fraud have gone too far, potentially leaving many of Georgia's children with autism in foster care without the care they need.
This warning is in response to a move by Amerigroup, the insurer that covers Georgia’s foster children through Medicaid, to cut what it pays autism therapy providers by 30%. Providers caution that they may no longer be able to afford to treat vulnerable children and that many foster families will be unable to switch them to another insurer.
"It's scary to see that so many different things are being slashed in terms of Medicaid, and that we're seeing this drastic outcome," Taylor Sanders, a family advocate at the Autism Families Alliance, told Fox News Digital. "It's so important that we keep in mind that children with autism are in a very vulnerable place where they're still needing to learn safety skills. There are some children who have extremely aggressive behaviors, challenging behaviors. So, when we're seeing some of these cuts, we're seeing it affect the providers who are able to provide access to these services."
