Florida Now Projects ABA Spending at $2.88B, Down From $3.86B. 220 Providers Cut.
The governor's October 6 results credit managed care and utilization management as well as enforcement, and name more than 24 billed hours in a day as a pattern the state found.
On October 6, 2026, Governor DeSantis released the first results of Florida's Medicaid integrity initiative. ABA spending is now projected at $2.88 billion for fiscal year 2026-27, against an earlier projection of $3.86 billion.
We've followed Florida's ABA Task Force since August, most recently on CMS's 11 recommendations. What's new here is enforcement data, and it's worth reading carefully. The release credits the drop to three things at once: the "transition of ABA services into managed care, utilization management efforts, and AHCA's efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse." It's a projection, and the release doesn't split it between those causes.
The numbers
- More than 400 provider site visits since January, with ABA named as a high-risk area alongside medical equipment and adult day care.
- More than 220 providers terminated for fraud, waste or abuse, "accounting for more than $230 million in Medicaid billing in 2025." The release doesn't say how many were ABA providers.
- More than 260 providers on payment restriction or suspension.
- More than 150 referrals to the Attorney General's Office over the past year.
The patterns the state names: "months of consecutive days of service through weekends and holidays," and in some cases "more than 24 hours of services in a single day."
Still running
The June initiative requires "all active Florida Medicaid providers" to "revalidate their credentials and identities," and says providers who don't comply "will be removed." AHCA hasn't published a single deadline. Separately, the ABA Task Force's recommendations are due to the Governor and legislative leaders by December 31, 2026.
What you must know or do
- Owners and billing leads: run billed hours per client per day, and per rendering staff member per day, for the last six months. A day over 24 hours is the pattern the state named. A run of consecutive days through weekends and holidays is the other one. Find them before a site visit does.
- Owners: confirm that ownership, NPI, enrollment and staff identity records match across AHCA and each plan. Revalidation is statewide and the penalty is removal.
- Owners: make sure your location matches what's on file and can be visited unannounced. The state has done 400 site visits this year.