State Rep. Scott Hilton of Georgia, the father of a child with a disability, has called on the state to treat specialized therapy as essential care rather than an optional expense. In a recent opinion piece he warned that reductions in Medicaid reimbursement rates for services such as applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy threaten the progress many children have already made.
Hilton wrote that families raising children with developmental differences already face enormous challenges. The state’s role, he argued, should be to ensure reliable access to the supports those children need so they can live fuller, more independent lives. Abrupt cuts or uncertainty in reimbursement only add pressure to households that are already stretched thin.
Real Consequences for Families and Providers
Across Georgia, managed care organizations have reduced rates for several therapies that children with disabilities depend on. Some reductions reached 20 to 30 percent. Providers say the lower payments make it harder to retain staff and keep clinics open, especially in areas where options are already limited. Families then face longer wait times or the risk of losing services altogether.
Hilton pointed out that early and consistent intervention has been shown over decades to help children with autism and other developmental differences communicate, build daily living skills, and participate more fully in their communities. When access becomes uncertain, that progress can stall.
A Call for Sustainable Support
The representative urged lawmakers not to balance budgets on the backs of children who need these services most. He called for a Medicaid system that remains financially responsible while still protecting the therapies that make independence more possible for many families. Significant reimbursement cuts, he warned, can force providers to reduce capacity or leave the network, leaving fewer options for the children who rely on them.
When reimbursement rates drop and providers struggle to stay open, the children who depend on consistent therapy feel the impact first. Progress that took years to build can slow simply because the support becomes harder to reach. Families already carrying the daily work of raising a child with developmental differences should not also have to wonder whether the next session will still be available.
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