Georgia lawmakers and families push to reverse foster-care autism therapy reimbursement cuts
State Sen. Brian Strickland joined foster parents and providers at the Capitol to demand that a 30% cut to ABA therapy reimbursement for Georgia foster children be reversed.
A 30% cut to Medicaid reimbursement for applied behavior analysis therapy, effective Sept. 1, has ignited a dispute at the Georgia Capitol. State Sen. Brian Strickland, a Republican from McDonough, stood with foster-care parents and service providers to urge reversal of the cut. Amerigroup, which administers Medicaid for foster children, reduced rates for technician-provided one-on-one ABA sessions while raising payments for planning and caregiver-engagement services.
Advocates such as Taylor Sanders and Kelsey Bennett of the Autism Families Alliance warned that interruptions could erase communication gains and increase challenging behaviors, with some estimating up to 75% of clinics might stop serving foster children. Strickland, running for attorney general, pledged to hold companies accountable and urged a review process that includes families and clinicians. Amerigroup says rates for licensed clinicians were unchanged and that medically necessary services remain covered.
Why it matters
The cuts risk denying essential autism therapy to vulnerable foster children, threatening their developmental progress.
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