Fraud Is Real. So Is America’s Autism Gold Rush.

The real story behind Minnesota’s Medicaid investigation may be the unchecked expansion of America’s autism industry.

Medicaid payments to autism therapy providers grew from $660 million in 2019 to $2.2 billion in 2023. Now, fraud investigations are exposing the cracks in a system families depend on.

Minnesota’s expanding Medicaid fraud investigation has triggered headlines about criminal charges, taxpayer dollars and political outrage. But beneath the allegations lies a deeper and more uncomfortable national story: the rapid and largely unchecked expansion of America’s autism industry.

Federal prosecutors recently announced charges against 15 defendants in Minnesota tied to alleged healthcare fraud schemes involving more than $90 million in Medicaid funds. The cases span multiple providers and business operators, including entities connected to child services and behavioral healthcare. While not all of the allegations center exclusively on autism therapy, the investigation has intensified scrutiny around the broader Medicaid-funded autism services industry at a moment when spending and demand are acce…