1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to restore the recently enacted cut of $2.4 million to Medicaid-funded Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, and to reverse the $9.5 million cut that is planned for April 1, 2026. This cut will most assuredly be detrimental to some of New York’s most vulnerable New Yorkers: children and adults with neurodevelopmental differences and mental health diagnoses. This population has waited years for the implementation of the ABA Medicaid benefit, and it is cruel to introduce new roadblocks instead of clearing a path. ABA is a well-developed and distinct discipline with a strong scientific foundation. Its delivery involves analyzing individual needs and environmental conditions to enhance that individual's well-being, including decreasing dangerous behaviors (e.g. aggression, self-injury, etc.), teaching adaptive behaviors (e.g. communication, social skills, coping strategies, etc.), and increasing independence. ABA has been recognized as an effective treatment option for people with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder. The proposed cut is a detrimental step in the wrong direction for New York. New York was the 49th state to implement Medicaid coverage of ABA. The full Medicaid benefit for ABA, which is intended for children with autism, and children and adults with mental health diagnoses, has not even been implemented. The ABA Medicaid benefit needs more, not less, funding so that children receive the care they need at the earliest possible point of intervention. Please restore the proposed cuts to the Medicaid ABA benefit. Thousands of children and adults have been waiting for years for this benefit. We cannot in good conscience expect them to continue to wait, especially when we now have qualified NY licensed professionals available to serve them.