Stop treating autistic kids like billable hours

In July, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services got the country’s largest health plans, provider groups, and medical societies to sign a national behavioral health pledge saying they would deliver timely, evidence-based, whole-person care that treats mental and physical health together, rather than in separate silos. Critically, it also calls for measurement and accountability for outcomes, not just for hours delivered.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services took another significant related step last month when it released a 173-page toolkit establishing guidelines for autism’s leading and most expensive treatment, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which involves one-to-one therapy to improve children’s skills and behavior.