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Autism providers, families press Senate committee for higher Medicaid reimbursement for ABA therapy
Summary
Providers and parents urged the Senate Finance Committee to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for applied behavior analysis (ABA) autism therapy, saying low rates have kept many providers out of Medicaid and left thousands of Texas children on waiting lists.
At the Senate Finance Committee public hearing on Article 2, autism-service providers and parents testified that inadequate Medicaid rates are preventing many Texas children from receiving applied behavior analysis (ABA), a service providers described as the medical standard of care for autism.
Dr. Brian Devoy, vice president of public policy for Action Behavior Centers, told the committee Action Behavior Centers serves 180 centers across Texas and that low Medicaid rates have kept most ABA providers out of the Texas Medicaid program: “The only reason that we cannot serve Texas Medicaid families, the rates are inadequate.” He said only about 1,500 children received ABA services in 2024 compared with earlier projections of nearly 9,000 and that 82 percent of Texas counties have no contracted ABA practitioner.
Multiple witnesses asked the Legislature to invest additional general revenue to raise the Medicaid reimbursement rate; specific asks included $20 million to $21 million over the biennium and a target rate of approximately $22 per unit for direct one-on-one ABA therapy services. Parent speakers gave personal examples of developmental gains tied to ABA services; Yessica (Jessica) Sorto said ABA “changed our lives… it’s hope for families like mine.”
Clinicians and provider executives described clinical outcomes such as reduced self-injury and improved school readiness and argued that early intensive ABA lowers long-term state costs by improving independence and reducing the need for more intensive services.
Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to fund rate increases in HHSC’s Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) so Medicaid-enrolled children statewide can access ABA therapy.
