Some foster children in Georgia who rely on autism therapy are starting to lose access to care after Amerigroup, the state's Medicaid contractor for children in foster care, cut payments for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy by 30%. The cut took effect Sept. 1, and clinics have recently begun seeing smaller payments for September appointments, according to a Georgia Recorder investigation published Oct. 5.
The stakes are high for foster and adoptive families from metro Atlanta to rural south Georgia. Many other Medicaid members can choose among three insurers (Amerigroup, CareSource and Peach State), but foster children cannot leave Amerigroup, so families have nowhere else to turn.
