LAFAYETTE PARISH — Aspire Behavioral Health Center is accusing UnitedHealthcare of "strategic denials" of essential services for children with autism.
The center says it became concerned after noticing a rise in the number of denied claims for children receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment.
This comes as Americans voice growing concerns about healthcare coverage following the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Aspire Behavioral Health Center offers behavior analysis, speech therapy, and psychological testing for children with learning, developmental, and behavioral disorders.
The center recently partnered with ProPublica, the nonprofit investigative journalism organization, to expose "limited access to critical treatment for kids with autism."
You can read the full article here.
Aspire believes the denials represent a targeted effort to block these essential services.
In a statement to KATC, Aspire says, "These decisions are leaving families without access to critical services, creating significant emotional and financial strain, and disrupting the care their children need to grow and thrive."
The statement went on to say, "When claims are denied without legitimate medical justification—as a cost-saving strategy for insurers—families are forced to navigate an overwhelming system, often at the expense of their child’s progress."
The company said the denials create barriers to essential care and place additional burdens on parents and caregivers.
The center warns that these denials could impact several families who cannot afford the behavioral therapy their children need.
KATC emailed United Healthcare for a comment, they have not responded to that email.
This is a developing story.
