Families rally at Arizona Capitol after losing access to autism therapy providers

Parents of children with autism rallied at the Arizona Capitol after insurers with the state’s Medicaid program canceled contracts with two large therapy providers.

The families say their children have made significant progress while undergoing applied behavior analysis, or ABA, the most popular therapy for people on the autism spectrum.

“What does ABA mean to our families? In the autism world, it means hope, security, stability and a bright future for our kids. We see the progress firsthand,” parent Renee Bradley said.

The rally came in response to decisions by Mercy Care, Arizona Complete Health and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan to cancel contracts with Centria Autism and Action Behavior Centers, which offer ABA services.

According to a lawsuit filed late last year, 1,000 kids could lose access to the therapy due to the decisions.

Parents say that would be devastating for their children.

Kim Powell said her son was non-verbal when he started therapy.

“Today at 4 years old, he talks more than we ever dreamed possible – hearing his voice, hearing him ask questions, expressing his needs and quizzing us on math problems,” Powell said.

Costs of care

In January, Gov. Katie Hobbs introduced a state budget proposal that included a nearly $300 million increase for the division of AHCCCS that serves Arizonans living with disabilities. It attributed much of those new costs to an increase in people who qualify for coverage, citing a roughly 1,000% increase in qualifying autism diagnoses since 2006.

That increase is in line with a nationwide trend.

And, in February, KJZZ reported costs to provide popular ABA therapy to this growing population are spiraling out of control. In 2025, AHCCCS spent $371 million on ABA services, up from $260 million the year prior.

Mercy Care initially ended its contract with Centria last year after it attempted to cut the reimbursement rate for the provider – cuts that Centria said were unsustainable.

Arizona Complete Health did not respond to requests for comment.

Mercy Care representatives said they were balancing patient care with their responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer money.

In a statement, the insurer said it stands by that decision.

“ABA services have been getting nationwide attention in recent years. ABA is an AHCCCS covered benefit and there have been no changes to Mercy Care’s coverage of medically necessary ABA services, which continue to be delivered through contracted network providers,” according to the statement. “We recognize that changes within a provider network can be difficult for families, and misinformation has contributed to confusion for some members.”

In a statement, UnitedHealthcare also said it is complying with the law.

"We regularly review and refine our provider networks in accordance with state and federal requirements. As part of these requirements and our commitment to care, we will assist members in locating another provider within our robust ABA network if necessary," according to the statement.

Mercy Care added that its network still includes over 70 ABA providers and that it is helping members transition to new providers.

However, some families tell a different story.

In the lawsuit filed last year, families claimed that they are already facing a shortage of ABA providers in Arizona, and some parents said they received little help after the decision to cancel the Centria contract.

“I've not been contacted by AHCCCS or Mercy Care this entire time via e-mail, via phone call, via mail correspondence,” parent Tiana Brandon said in November.

The lawsuit acknowledges that Mercy Care and the state agencies it works with are now trying to switch Centria’s Medicaid clients to new providers “but this may be nearly impossible given the ongoing shortage of ABA providers in Arizona.”