FIRST ON FOX: American autism care providers are backing the crackdown on Medicaid fraud, arguing that the alleged theft of millions of federal funds has hurt both taxpayers and children with autism who rely on those services.
A coalition of autism clinicians, behavioral therapists and families of children with autism are speaking out in favor of the administration’s efforts to hold people accountable for the suspected exploitation of the Medicaid system.
The group â the Autism Families Alliance â describes itself as a national advocacy organization dedicated to supporting Applied Behavior Analysis providers and the families who rely on their services. It aims to ensure that every child and family has access to high-quality care without unnecessary barriers, reduced access or funding cuts.
“We do this work because we believe every child deserves the chance to communicate, gain independence, and live the fullest life possible,” Taylor Sanders, a family advocate at the Autism Families Alliance, told Fox News Digital. “Ive worked with children who found their voice after being nonverbal. Ive watched families go from fear and uncertainty to hope because their child was finally making progress. Those are the moments that keep us going. Thats why were here.”
WATCH: DR. OZ SAYS NEWSOM, OTHER BLUE STATES HAVE TURNED MEDICAID FRAUD INTO A ‘FEATURE’
“President Trump and the administration are right: fraud is unacceptable and those responsible should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Sanders added.
The group argues that every dollar allegedly stolen by fraudsters should have been used to help a child with autism learn to communicate, gain independence and receive the care they need.
The members strongly support eliminating fraud and prosecuting suspected criminals, but they also fear that broad federal and state efforts to root out fraud could unintentionally make it more difficult for legitimate providers to care for children with autism.
Some states, including Georgia, North Carolina and Indiana, have taken steps to enhance oversight of autism services.
But the coalition is calling on policymakers to ensure fraudsters are removed from the system without creating what they describe as unnecessary barriers for families of vulnerable children seeking care.
“Theres real concern among the families I work with that their childrens care could be interrupted because of the governments response to these criminals,” Sanders said. “Access to these programs arent a political talking point to these families, its their lifeline. Losing this lifeline is a real fear that parents worry about every day. As some states move to crack down on fraud, we have to make sure were targeting fraudsters, not putting new barriers in front of families trying to get their children the care they need.”
The coalition’s stance on the administration’s fraud crackdown echoes comments made recently by Dr. Mehmet Oz, who serves as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD
“The good news is, our biggest allies are the folks who are doing it right,” Oz said at a press briefing earlier this year as part of an announcement of a sweeping national anti-fraud initiative targeting multi-billion dollar Medicaid and Medicare leakage across various states.
“They are the people who are doing hospice r
