Nebraskans on Medicaid recently faced a rate cut for the autism services including applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy. On top of that, the state lacks access to the clinics that provide these services, especially areas outside of the state’s largest cities.
The new rates decrease ABA services by as much as 48%.
One mother of a son with autism said the cut is devastating for families like hers.
“As parents who are coming into this with a new autism diagnosis, there’s not going to be services available. That’s really scary,” Taisa Brumagen previously told Nebraska Public Media News. “We’re just going to be left to figure it out on our own. I did that for six years before my son’s diagnosis, and it’s a very alone place to feel as a parent.”
That’s why one clinic is opening a location that can serve rural areas on the outskirts of Omaha as well as accept current Medicaid rates. Lacey Smithers, the clinical director at Accel Therapies, is leading the team in opening a new location in West Omaha on Wednesday.
Smithers said this new location is in direct response to families in need outside of Omaha. Clients have shared stories in which they extend themselves to extreme lengths to get services for their children.
“If people from Fremont need care, they’re driving 45 minutes to an hour, whereas they could come 20 minutes and be here with us. So that’s an area that we have really wanted to lean in towards,” she said.
The new clinic, which operates in a way similar to a preschool, is able to serve up to 60 students 18 months to 8 years old. It also offers diagnosis services, which Smithers said is another resource gap rural areas and the ever-expanding Omaha suburbs face.
Previous reporting from Nebraska Public Media found that, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, there were 2,734 ABA therapy providers enrolled in Nebraska Medicaid in 2024, including BCBAs, RBTs and other providers. In 2020, there were only 389 enrolled.
“The amount of growth is just insane And I think we’re really looking to address that. We looked and we saw not a lot of support on this side of town,” Smithers said. “We can help. We can address that. Let’s jump on it.”
ABA therapy is helpful in providing children with autism resources to experience more success in the real world. Smithers’ clinic offers “Accel Villages” in which the students are exposed to environments like a barbershop, a movie theater and a grocery store so they and their families can work on tools to feel more comfortable in those real-world settings.
“Success means independence. It does not mean taking the autism away,” Smithers said. “Success to us is improving quality of life, improving skills like self-advocacy…Core foundational skills that really are going to support their general wellbeing.”
The new clinic is also prioritizing bilingual providers so it can reach as many families as possible.