DENVER — Offering services to children with developmental delays like autism is becoming harder in Colorado, as some providers say they're running into issues with reimbursements from Medicaid.
JJ Tomash is worried about a trend he's seen in his industry for the last year. He's CEO of BehaviorSpan, which offers intensive care to kids 5 years and younger with autism. They teach kids basic things like how to ask questions so they can do well in school.
"A lot of companies have been going under or pulling their services out of Colorado because they are not able to make a profit or break even," Tomash said. "The rates have stayed the same for quite a while. They go up a little bit but they are outpaced by the cost of living."
He said reimbursements are not going up with the cost of business in Colorado.
"We have had in just the last two months two of the biggest providers in Colorado pull out in the last year," Tomash said.
It's a concern providers have warned about for months in meetings with the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee (MPRRAC).
"We operate eight centers currently and unfortunately are not profitable in the state," a provider said during public comment in a meeting in March. "The Medicaid rates that are offered are not financially sustainable."
Another company reported to the state that they were shutting down and laying off more than 200 people. The company closed, they said, because the quality of their care was at risk.
"We get a lot of calls of parents who have lost their services and asking if they can get in with us, and of course we can't take all of them," Tomash said.
Tomash said he plans to stay open and work through the challenges.
According to Tomash, MPRRAC could make a rate recommendation to another committee, but changes may not be possible until next year.
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