WSJ: Why is autism exploding? MEDICAID FRAUD AND ABUSE
- The end of childhood
- Dec 9
- 1 min read
Dec 7, 2025 WSJ: Why Is Autism Exploding? Welfare Fraud Is One Reason Minnesota’s example shows that lucrative behavioral therapy is a magnet for scam artists.
Diagnosis rates of autism among children have more than tripled over the past 15 years.
One reason, which Minnesota’s welfare scandal lays bare with shocking details, is Medicaid fraud and abuse.
Medicaid pays healthcare providers big bucks to diagnose and treat children with autism—sometimes tens of thousands of dollars a month for a single child. Yet states rarely verify that kids who are diagnosed actually meet the medical criteria for the disorder or that they get appropriate treatment from qualified specialists. . . SUBCRIPTION
