Autism Therapy Leaders Warn Providers to Prepare for Rising Scrutiny
In a Behavioral Health Business article promoting its Autism Investor Summit East event, industry leaders Alisha Simpson-Watt of Collaborative ABA Services and Elizabeth Broomfield of Aquitaine Capital discuss how increased scrutiny of documentation and billing is reshaping the autism therapy industry. They argue providers must strengthen data and advocacy to justify services to payers and states, understand payer contract terms, control costs, and diversify payer mix and service lines to withstand financial pressure. The piece cites examples of sudden state-level disruptions, including Oklahoma's Medicaid payment halt to Mirabelle Care amid fraud allegations against prior ownership (since partially reversed in court) and Nebraska's 48% cut to ABA direct therapy reimbursement in July 2025. The article frames heightened scrutiny as likely permanent and urges providers of all sizes to build financial resilience and contingency planning.