In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. Scams plague the world of autism. Some involve shady or abusive providers.
To care providers, advocates and parents of children with autism, the development of the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) health care program in Minnesota is so promising and so long-awaited, it’s no wonder its growth has been explosive.
But because of that surge of interest in the program, which serves people younger than 21 with autism spectrum disorder, and the lack of oversight, advocates and providers weren’t completely surprised by the revelations last week that the FBI is investigating alleged fraud at two — and possibly more — EIDBI centers.
“The state was interested in providing access to needed services [and] equity-based access to long-underserved communities,” said Eric Larsson, executive director of clinical services at Lovaas Institute Midwest in Minneapolis. “And, if everyone follows the rules, there’s no problem. Not everyone followed the rules.”
The program is funded by the state and federal government. Since 2017, the state reported nearly $700 million in Medicaid EIDBI reimbursements. That includes nearly $229 million in 2024 payments through Nov. 27. At the same time, the number of EIDBI providers who diagnose and treat people with autism spectrum disorder has increased from 41 in 2018 to 328 last year.
Last week, the FBI raided St. Cloud and Minneapolis autism centers as part of an investigation it said revealed “substantial evidence” of millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicaid claims. No charges have been filed yet.
