[This is a Letter to the Editor. For our policy on letters, and how to submit them, please see the bottom of this article]
Dear Editor:
Re: the article “Georgia cuts payments by 30% for foster children’s autism therapy.”
The reported 30% reduction in reimbursement for autism therapy for Georgia foster children should concern anyone committed to giving vulnerable children a fair opportunity to develop.
As a UGA graduate social work student studying child development, I am learning how important early intervention, stable relationships, and consistent access to services can be during the earliest years of life. Foster children already experience disruptions that other children may not face. Creating another barrier to treatment risks increasing those disadvantages.
The concern is not simply whether Medicaid technically continues to cover the service. If reimbursement rates cause qualified providers to stop accepting foster children, coverage on paper does little for a child who cannot receive care.
Georgia and Amerigroup should review the impact of the rate reduction on provider participation before additional children lose services. They should also protect continuity of care for children already in treatment and ensure families are clearly informed about out-of-network options when an in-network provider is unavailable.
Cost oversight is appropriate. But controlling costs should not come at the expense of timely, medically necessary care for children who already have limited control over the systems affecting their lives.
Sincerely,
Andraes Hubbard
UGA MSW Graduate Student
Acworth, Georgia
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