Today's two deep dives cover Florida ABA providers who say Molina hasn't paid their claims since it took over the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, and California's felony charges against 103 IHSS caregivers accused of billing for hospital and nursing home days. Below are the day's other stories, each linked to its source.
Today's deep dives
Florida ABA providers say Molina hasn't paid CMS Plan claims. An attorney says almost 700 providers report going unpaid since Oct. 1, and the state says it is investigating. We cover the transition rules, Florida's claim payment deadlines and what agencies can do now.
California charges 103 IHSS caregivers in $4.5M Medi-Cal case. How state data matching flagged hours claimed during hospital and nursing facility stays, the 17 counties involved, and the federal funding fight around the announcement.
More news today
DOJ and HHS open a six-month False Claims Act self-disclosure pilot for health care companies. Announced Oct. 22, the pilot lets companies report potential False Claims Act violations, describe how they fixed them and repay the government at 1.25 to 1.6 times the amount. In return they get a coordinated civil release under the act and certain HHS administrative authorities. Submissions are accepted through April 22, 2027. Home Health Care News noted the program gives home-based care providers a clearer path but still carries risks. Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, Home Health Care News
HHS updates the national dementia plan and makes HCBS part of a new goal. The 2026 update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias replaces six goals with four. The fourth covers caregiver support, long-term services and supports, home and community-based services, respite, safety and planning. HHS says it will report progress in a 2027 update. Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Home Health Care News
Georgetown CCF tracks how far back states will check Medicaid work hours. States can look back one to three months when deciding whether expansion adults meet the new work reporting rules. Idaho, Indiana and North Carolina passed laws setting a three-month look-back for new applicants. Five states set three months for renewals, and New Hampshire and Indiana also added quarterly checks, which in effect means showing compliance every month. Source: Georgetown University Center for Children and Families
NLRB certifies a second Indiana ABA technician union. Behavior technicians at Autism Brain Alternatives, which runs Engaging Minds in Peru, Indiana, voted 15 to 10 on Oct. 8 to join the UAW, and the National Labor Relations Board certified the unit Oct. 19, Acuity reported from the case docket. It is Indiana's second unit of ABA direct care staff to organize with the UAW, after a January vote at Circle City ABA in Kokomo. Indiana cut Medicaid rates for individual ABA services 6% on April 1, 2026, with another 4% cut scheduled for April 2027. Sources: Acuity, Breaking News ABA
Ohio's Meigs County DD board asks voters to keep its 2-mill levy. The levy appears on the Nov. 3 ballot as "additional" because of a language change, but Superintendent Bret Malone told WSAZ it is the same tax collected for years. It pays for services for people with developmental disabilities, from the board's Carleton School to adult services. If it fails, the board could return to the ballot until 2028 and might have to cut services such as early intervention. DSN covered a similar Champaign County levy on Oct. 21. Source: WSAZ