Federal health officials have released a 173-page guide urging state Medicaid programs to strengthen oversight of applied behavior analysis, the most common therapy for children with autism, after program spending rose 421 percent in four years.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published the document on August 4, 2026. According to the agency's announcement, spending on ABA in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program increased 421 percent between 2021 and 2025, far outpacing a 67 percent rise in the number of children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis receiving services.
