州参议员联合倡导者警告， Amerigroup 医疗补助报销额削减可能导致诊所关闭
作者：迈克尔·辛凯维奇 / 福克斯新闻
发布时间：2026年10月25日 美国东部时间上午6:00
自闭症倡导者警告，佐治亚州医疗补助削减可能危及寄养儿童的治疗
自闭症家庭联盟的泰勒·桑德斯警告称，自闭症治疗报销率的削减可能会破坏佐治亚州寄养儿童获得的关键服务，目前寄养家庭与州议员正推动相关政策调整被撤销。
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佐治亚州寄养儿童自闭症治疗费用削减的纠纷正在州议会升级，一名共和党议员及相关家庭如今呼吁将这30%的报销削减撤销，同时倡导者警告称，儿童可能会失去来之不易的进步成果。
佐治亚州负责管理寄养儿童医疗补助的 Amerigroup 自9月1日起调整了应用行为分析（ABA）治疗的报销率，佐治亚州共和党籍参议员布赖恩·斯特里克兰（来自麦克多诺）周四联合家长及服务机构人士，就这一调整采取行动提出要求。
“作为一名自闭症儿童的家长，我深知ABA治疗对一个家庭及佐治亚州寄养儿童的重要性，正因如此，我站在议会现场明确表示，这些削减是站不住脚的，”斯特里克兰告诉福克斯新闻数字频道。
正在竞选州检察长的斯特里克兰还承诺，若当选将追究相关企业的责任。
自闭症服务机构警告：特朗普政府打击医疗补助欺诈的意外后果可能危及寄养儿童
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佐治亚州参议员布赖恩·斯特里克兰育有一名自闭症儿童，他称某些自闭症治疗报销率的削减是“站不住脚的”。（路透社/伊莱贾·努瓦拉奇）
此前福克斯新闻数字频道于本月早些时候率先报道，自闭症倡导者担心，这一削减可能导致服务机构因特朗普政府打击医疗补助欺诈的意外后果，停止为寄养儿童提供治疗，而此次政治层面的反对正是源于这一背景。
自闭症家庭联盟的泰勒·桑德斯周六向福克斯新闻数字频道表示，自削减实施以来，家庭及临床医生发声的情况日益增多，强调“时间对这些家庭至关重要”。
“当孩子无法获得服务的每一刻，我们都看到他们的沟通、安全技能出现倒退，”桑德斯表示。“我们或许还会看到一些挑战性行为的增加。”
桑德斯此前警告，受此削减影响，多达75%的诊所可能关闭或停止为寄养儿童提供服务。
自闭症服务机构在数百万美元被指通过医疗补助欺诈从儿童手中窃取后，对特朗普政府的打击行动表示欢迎
佐治亚州寄养儿童自闭症治疗费用削减的纠纷正在州议会升级。（乔·索姆/美国视野/盖蒂图片社旗下环球新闻图库，资料图）
她讲述了这样一个家庭的经历：他们3岁的孩子在接受ABA治疗后首次开始说话，但母亲如今担心无法继续获得治疗。
“她号啕大哭，充满担忧和挫败感，”桑德斯回忆起最近的一次谈话时说。
桑德斯解释称，这位母亲担心会失去持续的一对一治疗，而她称正是这种治疗帮助孩子开始沟通。
桑德斯表示，孩子接受的治疗量还不足以确保新习得的沟通技能能在不同场景下保持。
自闭症家庭联盟的凯尔西·贝内特告诉福克斯新闻数字频道：“对这些儿童及其家庭而言，时间至关重要。每天中断关键治疗，都可能导致来之不易的进步付诸东流，限制持续发展的机会。”
众议院共和党法案旨在弥补明尼苏达州医疗补助欺诈丑闻暴露的举报人保护漏洞
倡导者表示，他们担心会失去帮助自闭症儿童开始沟通的一对一治疗。（iStock）
贝内特补充道：“撤销这些削减。”
倡导者不仅要求重新考虑这一削减，还呼吁在审查政策时纳入家庭、临床医生及其他利益相关方的意见，而非采用一刀切的方式。
亚特兰大福克斯5台收到 Amerigroup 的一份声明，该公司表示，其调整ABA治疗报销率是基于服务复杂性和临床专业程度，提高了治疗规划和护理人员参与服务的报销率，同时降低了部分由技术人员提供服务的报销率。公司还表示，持照临床医生的报销率并未下降，且 medically necessary 的自闭症服务仍在报销范围内。
对此，桑德斯强调，这些削减影响了提供大部分一对一护理的技术人员。
由25个州组成的联盟起诉特朗普政府，指控其制定旨在打击欺诈的医疗补助工作规定
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唐纳德·特朗普总统领导的政府正在加大力度打击医疗补助欺诈，而自闭症倡导者警告，佐治亚州的报销削减可能危及寄养儿童获得治疗的机会。（弗朗西斯·钟/Politico/彭博社通过盖蒂图片社，资料图）
“我们只是在纸上写了一些东西，并不意味着它在临床上有效，也不意味着这些孩子能够获得治疗，因为企业现在可能不得不关闭服务，因为他们无法承受报销削减带来的损失，”桑德斯表示。
桑德斯再次表达了她对治疗中断可能对孩子造成的长期后果的担忧。
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“失去的进步极难挽回，这是我们目前面临的最大担忧，”桑德斯表示。“在毁掉这些家庭的机会前，请重新考量。在做出重大削减前，请先让临床医生、家庭参与进来。”
福克斯新闻数字频道已联系 Amerigroup 和美国医疗保险和医疗补助服务中心（CMS）寻求进一步置评。
福克斯新闻数字频道的兰登·米昂为本文做出了贡献。
迈克尔·辛凯维奇是福克斯新闻数字频道的撰稿人。如有新闻线索，可发送至 michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6407358413112
Foster children’s autism therapy at risk as Georgia lawmakers step into funding fight
State senator joins advocates warning the Amerigroup Medicaid reimbursement reduction could lead to clinic closures
By Michael Sinkewicz / Fox News
Published October 25, 2026 6:00am EDT
Autism advocate warns Georgia Medicaid cuts could jeopardize care for foster children
Taylor Sanders of the Autism Families Alliance warns that cuts to autism therapy reimbursement rates could disrupt critical services for Georgia foster children as families and state lawmakers push for the changes to be reversed.
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A fight over cuts to autism therapy for Georgia foster children is escalating at the state Capitol, with a Republican lawmaker and families now calling for the 30% reimbursement reduction to be reversed as advocates warn children could lose hard-earned progress.
State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, joined parents and providers Thursday to demand action over a reduction in reimbursement rates for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy that went into effect Sept. 1 through Amerigroup, which administers Medicaid coverage for children in Georgia’s foster care system.
“As a parent of a child with autism, I know what ABA therapy means for a family and Georgia’s foster children, which is why I stood at the Capitol to make clear that these cuts are indefensible,” Strickland told Fox News Digital.
Strickland, who is running for state attorney general, also pledged to hold companies accountable if elected.
AUTISM PROVIDERS WARN FOSTER KIDS AT RISK FROM UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMP’S MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN
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Georgia state Sen. Brian Strickland, who has a child with autism, described cuts to certain autism therapy reimbursement rates as “indefensible.”(Reuters/Elijah Nouvelage)
The political pushback comes after Fox News Digital first reported earlier this month that autism advocates feared the reduction could force providers to stop treating foster children as an unintended consequence of the Trump administration’s Medicaid fraud crackdown.
Taylor Sanders of the Autism Families Alliance told Fox News Digital on Saturday that families and clinicians have increasingly begun speaking out since the cuts took effect, emphasizing that “time is crucial to these families.”
“Every moment where their child is not receiving services, we’re seeing a regression in possible communication, safety skills,” Sanders said. “Maybe we’re seeing an increase in some of those challenging behaviors.”
Sanders previously warned that as many as 75% of clinics could close or stop serving foster children because of the cuts.
AUTISM PROVIDERS CHEER TRUMP CRACKDOWN AFTER MILLIONS ALLEGEDLY STOLEN FROM CHILDREN THROUGH MEDICAID FRAUD
A fight over cuts to autism therapy for Georgia foster children is escalating at the state Capitol.(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
She described a family whose 3-year-old child had begun using words for the first time after receiving ABA therapy and whose mother now fears losing access to treatment.
“She was in absolute tears and so worried and frustrated,” Sanders said, recalling their recent conversation.
The mother, Sanders explained, fears losing the consistent one-on-one therapy that she said helped the child begin communicating.
Sanders said the child had not received enough therapy to ensure those newly learned communication skills could be maintained across different settings.
“For these children and their families, time matters,” Kelsey Bennett of the Autism Families Alliance told Fox News Digital. “Every day without critical care risks reversing hard-earned progress and limiting opportunities for continued development.”
HOUSE GOP BILL MOVES TO CLOSE WHISTLEBLOWER GAPS EXPOSED BY MINNESOTA MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDAL
Advocates said they fear losing one-on-one therapy that help a child with autism begin communicating.(iStock)
Bennett added, “Reverse the cuts.”
Advocates are calling not only for the cuts to be reconsidered, but also for families, clinicians and other stakeholders to be involved in reviewing the policy rather than relying on a blanket approach.
In a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta, Amerigroup said it rebalanced ABA reimbursement rates based on service complexity and clinical expertise, increasing rates for treatment planning and caregiver-engagement services while decreasing rates for some technician-delivered services. The company also said rates for licensed clinicians did not decrease and that medically necessary autism services remain covered.
In response, Sanders emphasized that the reductions affected technicians who provide much of the one-on-one care.
COALITION OF 25 STATES SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER MEDICAID WORK RULE DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUD
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President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified efforts to combat Medicaid fraud, while autism advocates warn that reimbursement cuts in Georgia could jeopardize access to therapy for foster children.(Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
“Just because we put something down on paper doesn’t mean that it’s gonna be clinically effective or that these children are gonna be able to access care because companies are now having to maybe close their doors to these individuals because they can’t afford the rate cut,” Sanders said.
Sanders reiterated her concerns about the potential long-term consequences for children whose therapy is interrupted.
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“Progress lost is extremely hard to come back from, which is the biggest concern that we’re facing here,” Sanders said. “Reconsider before ripping the rug from families. Start to involve the clinicians, involve families before making major cuts.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Amerigroup and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for additional comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6407358413112
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