Articles
Research, legislation, BACB updates and practice notes — each one traced back to the source it came from.
A Federal Warrant Names the Out-of-Network Strategy Itself as the Alleged Fraud
An unsealed HHS-OIG affidavit alleges ABA Centers of America billed for medically unnecessary services and required its therapists to stay non-credentialed to capture out-of-network rates. No charges have been filed.
Your Blues Plan Says the Prior-Auth Phone Call Is Optional. Ask For Fax.
Health Care Service Corp. routed ABA prior authorizations through scheduled phone calls across five states, and providers report multi-day waits and 48-hour ultimatums. HCSC says on the record that fax remains available.
One State's Autism Benefit Went From $600,000 to $400 Million. Then the Indictments.
Two defendants were charged in a $46.6 million scheme against Minnesota's EIDBI program. Claims under that benefit rose from over $600,000 in 2018 to over $400 million by 2025, according to the Justice Department.
Colorado Licensed Behavior Analysts — and Made RBT Hours Reimbursable
Colorado's HB26-1425, signed June 2, 2026, creates a behavior analyst licensing board and bars unlicensed practice from July 1, 2028. It also requires Medicaid reimbursement for ABA delivered by certified behavior technicians.
Billing Max Hours for 80% of Your Clients Is Now a Federal Red Flag
CMS guidance tells states to identify providers billing maximum hours for 80% or more of their clients. The audits behind it found nearly $200 million in improper ABA payments across Indiana, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Maine.
A Second Pooled Analysis Just Found Hours Did Almost Nothing. Age at Start Did.
A Molecular Autism mega-analysis of 582 autistic children across 11 datasets found cumulative intervention intensity had largely no effect on outcomes, while earlier age at start and higher pre-intervention developmental quotient predicted better results.
Four Routes to BCBA Become Two. Apply by December 31 to Keep Today’s Rules.
From January 1, 2027 there are two routes to BCBA certification instead of four. A complete application received by December 31, 2026 is assessed under the 2022 requirements, and Pathway 2 is scheduled for removal in 2032.
CMS Hands States a 174-Page ABA Playbook — and It Is Not About Clinical Care
CMS released an Applied Behavior Analysis Toolkit on 4 August. It sets no new federal requirements, which is exactly why it matters: it is the clearest signal yet of what states will be expected to tighten.
North Carolina Just Did It. Your State Is Reading the Same Memo.
North Carolina now requires RBT or QABA certification for paraprofessionals, ends telehealth for codes 97152–97154, and caps LQASP remote supervision. Existing staff have 120 days from 1 August.
The Strongest Predictor of Outcome Was Hours. Regulators Are Calling Hours a Red Flag.
Eldevik and colleagues pooled participant-level data from 15 studies: effect sizes of 0.66 to 1.36, with weekly hours the strongest predictor of outcome. Every included study lacked random assignment.
Four States Audited, Four More Under Way
Colorado, Maine, Wisconsin, and Indiana are complete, with four more running to fiscal 2027. Each published report names the specific documentation failures that produced its findings.
Your 2026 Recertification Still Needs the Competency Assessment. The PDUs Come After.
The change has been widely written up as PDUs replacing the competency assessment. For anyone recertifying in 2026 that reading is backwards, and acting on it costs you your certification.
New Study Examines ABA and Mental-Health Outcomes in Privately Insured Autistic Youth
A 2026 study in Autism examines ABA’s association with PTSD, suicidality, and mental-health hospitalization among privately insured autistic youth, using national claims data.
States Move to Rein In ABA Medicaid Spending With Rate Cuts, Hour Caps, and Age Limits
Nebraska cut some ABA rates by nearly half, Colorado and Indiana have reductions on the table, and a judge froze North Carolina’s cut while the case runs.
Get it before you need it
The whole record, open to read. Subscribers get it delivered instead.
Keep reading
More from the archive, and the tools our readers reach for next.
- Who writes ABA WeeklyHow we choose what to cover, and where the sourcing comes from.
- Send us a storyCorrections, tips and content suggestions from the field.
- What ABA Weekly coversThe four beats of every issue, and who each one is written for.
- Subscribe to the weekly briefingResearch, legislation and BACB updates for your role, in a five-minute read.
- Free ABA tools for your own practice CEU tracking, audit risk assessment, ethics guidance and task management — free.
Cookie Notice
We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze site usage. You can opt out at any time.