Colorado: Autism providers leaving state; Medicaid reimbursements "too low"

July 16, 2023, KUSA, Denver: Providers who help kids with autism are leaving Colorado https://www.9news.com/amp/article/news/local/providers-who-help-kids-with-autism-leaving-colorado/73-ddaf550b-c1f9-4d13-8282-121103987162

They say reimbursements from Medicaid are too low to do business in the state.

Offering services to children with developmental delays like autism is becoming harder in Colorado, as some providers say they're running into issues with reimbursements from Medicaid. …

"A lot of companies have been going under or pulling their services out of Colorado because they are not able to make a profit or break even," Tomash said. "The rates have stayed the same for quite a while. They go up a little bit but they are outpaced by the cost of living."

He said reimbursements are not going up with the cost of business in Colorado. …

It's a concern providers have warned about for months in meetings with the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee (MPRRAC).

"We operate eight centers currently and unfortunately are not profitable in the state," a provider said during public comment in a meeting in March. "The Medicaid rates that are offered are not financially sustainable."

Another company reported to the state that they were shutting down and laying off more than 200 people. The company closed, they said, because the quality of their care was at risk. ….