Wednesday, Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order aimed at containing the Medicaid costs for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy
Wednesday, Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order aimed at containing the Medicaid costs for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy.
ABA therapy is instrumental in teaching skills such as speech and behavioral therapy to children on the autism spectrum. Many families rely on ABA programs.
According to the Governor's office, medicaid payments for ABA therapy surged from $14.4 million in 2017 to $120 million in 2019 and an audit by the U.S. Office of the Inspector General revealed more than $56 million in improper payments.
“Indiana’s $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfall last year means we need to take bold action to contain costs where they are clearly getting out of hand. When the price our state pays for one service is soaring from $14 million to $120 million in just two years, with over $39 million of improper payments identified in an independent audit, something is clearly wrong and needs to be addressed immediately,” said Governor Mike Braun. “We’re taking decisive action to contain these massive cost increases while maintaining quality of care for the Hoosiers that rely on these treatments.”
The executive order establishes a working group of parents, legislators, experts, and ABA therapy providers.
Their mission, according to Braun, is tasked with evaluating the following solutions:
• the best clinical care models to provide the right therapy, at the right ages, in the right setting, to best serve children and families;
• recommendations for a better coordinated experience for children who need ABA therapy services, but in a financially sustainable manner;
• proper transitions for children as they grow in their educational, family and social settings;
• quality metrics for ABA therapy services;
• potential caps on hours of therapy services provided per week;
• potential caps on the number of months a child can receive therapy services;
• creating an appeals process for extenuating circumstances; and
• establishing new provider enrollment and billing requirements for ABA providers to address issues identified in the federal audit.
Collaborating ABA with Nutritionists: How to Overcome Feeding Challenges for Children with Autism
Mealtimes should be enjoyable, but for many families with children on the autism spectrum, feeding challenges can turn it into a stressful experience. In this blog, we explore how ABA therapy and nutritionist collaboration can address common feeding issues like food aversions, restrictive eating, and sensory difficulties. Learn how a multidisciplinary approach can help improve feeding behaviors, ensure proper nutrition, and reduce family stress.
"I wanna reincarnate!" cried my 19-year-old client, a girl who battles with schizoaffective disorder. She was crying uncontrollably due to feeling she was ugly. After a suicide attempt, she now faces lifelong disability. Every day is a challenge, and she's lost her will to live. Through her tears, she reached out to me and pleaded, "Help me," hugging me tightly. I embraced her, tears forming in my eyes. Her pain was palpable, and I felt sorry for her. I could only imagine the intensity of her struggle.
But is the next life guaranteed to be better? Life is difficult, yet nothing can compare to what she and her parents are going through. Sometimes, I feel bad by the fact that they pay for my services. It weighs on me, even though I need to take care of myself and cover my expenses. Nonetheless, facing my patients is a challenge. Each child and their parents endure immense suffering.
I graduated from therapy today guys! I mostly no longer pick my nails, have increased my confidence, increased my emotional intelligence, learned how to deal with my emotions, and feel like I've come a long way. It's very exciting.
the worst thing about being a neurodivergent psych major is realizing you don’t trust a fair portion of your class.
this goes out to people in my class defending/liking behavioral therapy. like, even if it wasn’t ableist and abusive (which it absolutely is, and you can’t separate it from that), you’d still have the problem that it attempts to change behavior without understanding why the behavior is happening. kids don’t cry or scream or throw tantrums for no reason. it’s not helpful at all.
How Anxiety Can Ruin A Writing Career - Glenn Gers
Film Courage: Can you explain how anxiety almost ruined your writing career?
Glenn Gers, Screenwriter: It almost stopped it from starting. I was a terribly, terribly anxious young person. I am still very anxious. Actually writing has become the way I sort of counter anxiety. It’s one of the few things that’s totally within my control and control is what helps with having the feeling. Having something in your control is what helps anxiety. Being able to go into a fictional world or create a world or follow a story in your mind is one of the few things that would prevent me from feeling anxious and yet when I tried to write them down I was always very self-critical, it always seemed more complicated than just making it up in your head to actually get it down on paper…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
