Florida expects to spend nearly $1 billion less on applied behavior analysis (ABA) for Medicaid enrollees than it had forecast. The governor's office said on Oct. 6, 2026, that annual ABA spending, once projected to reach $3.86 billion, is now projected at $2.88 billion in fiscal year 2026-27. It credited the move of ABA into managed care, tighter utilization management and anti-fraud work by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Gov. Ron DeSantis and AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris announced the results in West Palm Beach, as News4JAX reported.
The numbers
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Earlier annual ABA spending projection | $3.86 billion |
| Current projection, fiscal 2026-27 | $2.88 billion |
| AHCA provider site visits since January | More than 400 |
| Fraud referrals to the Attorney General, past year | More than 150 |
| Providers with payments restricted or suspended | More than 260 |
| Providers terminated from Florida Medicaid | More than 220, with more than $230 million in 2025 billing |
The site visits, referrals and terminations cover all of AHCA's high-risk areas, which the release names as ABA, durable medical equipment and adult day care. News4JAX reported "more than 250" providers with restricted or suspended payments; we use the release's figure of more than 260. The release says reviewers found providers billing for months of consecutive days, including weekends and holidays, and in some cases for more than 24 hours of service in a single day.
At the news conference, Harris said Florida Medicaid paid about $6.57 billion for ABA from 2023 through 2025, nearly four times more than any other state Medicaid program, and that the state had been projecting 30% yearly growth in ABA spending, News4JAX reported.
A task force is weighing licensing and survey-linked pay
The Legislature created a 10-member ABA Task Force in a 2026 special-session budget bill. It sits within AHCA, is chaired by Harris, and must send recommendations to the governor and legislative leaders by Dec. 31, 2026, according to AHCA. Its charge covers clinical care models, service-authorization limits, possible caps on how long services last, and provider enrollment and billing standards, with a goal of keeping current recipients from losing access.
At its Oct. 5 meeting, members heard proposals to license companies that provide ABA, not only the clinicians who work for them; to tie Medicaid reimbursement to the results of annual licensure surveys; and to give families options beyond ABA, the Florida Phoenix reported. Harris said AHCA had been "very intrigued" by the licensure idea. The Phoenix reported that the panel will hold two more meetings before adopting final recommendations.
Why this matters for providers and DSPs
ABA is common in treating autistic children and is also used with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the Phoenix noted. Florida's results show where the state is looking: ABA, durable medical equipment and adult day care, using site visits, payment holds and billing-pattern checks. For provider agencies, staff schedules and session notes that match what was billed are now the first line of defense. If the task force recommends agency licensure and the Legislature adopts it, ABA companies would face a license and a survey cycle on top of Medicaid enrollment, and their rates could depend on passing those surveys. Families and providers can follow the panel's remaining meetings on AHCA's task force page.