‘Hurting us in the long run’: Nebraska dad of boy with autism criticizes Medicaid rate cuts

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A new wave of uncertainty is hitting Nebraska families who rely on Medicaid to get treatment for their children.

The state is lowering its reimbursement rate for applied behavior analysis, a therapy used by kids with autism.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said spending on these programs has skyrocketed in recent years, and it’s trying to get costs under control.

But parents said those changes could have devastating consequences.

“When you take that away from them, you take that away from the family,” said Chris Szydelko of Lincoln. “You’re only hurting us in the long run.”

His 6-year-old son Liam has autism receives ABA therapy through Nebraska’s Medicaid program.

Szydelko said those services have transformed their world.

“Within the first week of him starting this facility, we heard his voice, he was talking, he was saying goodbye to friends, goodbye to staff, laughing,” he said. “When I bent down because I couldn’t believe it was him, he ran through the door and gave me a hug.”

On Friday, Nebraska Medicaid started paying less for those treatments.

According to DHHS, Nebraska had one of the highest Medicaid reimbursement rates for ABA therapy in the nation.

The state’s spending on those programs increased over 1,740% from 2020 to 2024, from $4.6 million to over $85 million.

The department said while this is a spending cut, it’s not a cut of services.

“These rate adjustments were part of a holistic and long process in terms of understanding and instituting appropriate guardrails,” Nebraska Medicaid Director Drew Gonshorowski said.

He said ABA would still be provided in schools.

Gonshorowski said the department is receiving a wide range of responses.

Some families express concern, he said, while others praise the rate adjustments and updated Medicaid service definitions.

“The Nebraska DHHS and Medicaid program here are committed to ensuring that Nebraskans across the state are receiving quality ABA services well into the future,” Gonshorowski said.

Szydelko said this is about his son’s future.

“ABA therapy is one of the few things that families like mine can have to be able to give their child an opportunity,” he said.