Number Of Medicaid Beneficiaries With Autism Tripled From 2008 To 2016 To Reach 600,000; Children Make Up 70% Of This Total

The number of Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with autism more than tripled between 2008 and 2016, from 181,537 in 2008 to 594,632 in 2016. As of 2016, 69.1% of these beneficiaries were children ages 0 to 17 years:

0 to 5 years: 13.9%
6 to 10 years: 26.6%
11 to 17 years: 28.6%

There is a sharp decline in Medicaid enrollment once children on the autism spectrum reach the age of 18. At this age, youth are required to be reassessed for Medicaid eligibility as an individual adult, rather than as a member of a . . .