Florida Medicaid ABA Payment Rate Challenge Moves Forward After Judge Rejects State’s Dismissal Request

A challenge to Florida's Medicaid payment rates can proceed after an administrative law judge rejected the state's request to dismiss the case on August 26, 2026. Pediatric Associates, which serves more than 300,000 children enrolled in Medicaid statewide, alleges that changes to how the state funds applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for children with autism reduced funding for traditional pediatric care by 15% to 30%. The organization is challenging the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration's (AHCA) method for calculating payments to Medicaid managed care plans, which determine how much funding is available for primary care . . .