North Carolina’s elected state auditor says Medicaid spending on autism therapy has risen dramatically and warrants additional review. In a recent statement, State Auditor Dave Boliek reported that the state spends about $660 million annually on autism therapy services through Medicaid. He characterized the increase as a steep change over recent years, citing a reported 47,000% growth in autism therapy billings compared with levels from five years earlier. Boliek said the size and pace of the increase raise concerns about potential waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program, and he called for an audit to determine whether billing is accurate and compliant.
Multiple outlets describe Boliek’s comments as an alarm about possible improper billing patterns rather than a conclusion that fraud is occurring. The coverage focuses on the scale of the billing spike and the auditor’s demand for scrutiny. While the reports agree on the reported magnitude of the rise and the auditor’s concerns, they do not provide independent confirmation or details about specific cases.
