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Bread and Circuses

This is what 💵 for-profit 💵 healthcare does to us…
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A leaked report reveals UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest insurer, systematically limits access to critical autism therapy by culling providers.

Internal documents obtained by ProPublica show that the company has implemented cost-cutting measures targeting applied behavior analysis (ABA), a widely recognized therapy for children with autism.
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EDIT: After I made this original post yesterday, several people left strong comments explaining about the actual nature of ABA "therapy" for autism. It is apparently not helpful at all, doing a lot more damage than good. I didn't know about that, and I'm grateful for the education.

Several other commenters also noted that the motives of UnitedHealthcare in this matter have *zero* to do with seeking the best treatment for children with autism, and everything to do with cutting costs and saving money any way they can to make themselves richer. So the spirit of my original post is still valid, even if the specific content was in error. But I do apologize for my ignorance.

* * * * *

LINK TO ARTICLE -- mediaite.com/news/propublica-d

#USA #Politics #Healthcare #Economics

Headline at linked article says: "Damning exposé on UnitedHealthcare about limiting child health services to cut costs." Below this is a photo of UnitedHealthcare's headquarters building.
21 Dec 2024 at 14:00 | Open on climatejustice.social
30 comments
æter
Micah

@ater @breadandcircuses
UHC is not the good guy here... ABA is abuse, but UHC isn't trying to stop abuse. They are trying to avoid paying for any support for autistic kids!

'UnitedHealth’s report acknowledges ABA as the “evidence-based gold standard treatment” but outlines strategies to reduce its availability.'

It is very clear that they are not fighting abuse. A broken clock is right twice a day, and a horrific evil insurance company refusing care will occasionally refuse to pay for something horrible along with all the actual care they are refusing.

@ater @breadandcircuses
UHC is not the good guy here... ABA is abuse, but UHC isn't trying to stop abuse. They are trying to avoid paying for any support for autistic kids!

'UnitedHealth’s report acknowledges ABA as the “evidence-based gold standard treatment” but outlines strategies to reduce its availability.'

21 Dec 2024 at 16:13 | Open on autistics.life
æter

@m @breadandcircuses yeah "siding with" was a bit of a stretch meant for impact.

21 Dec 2024 at 16:48 | Open on sb17.space
Micah

@ater @breadandcircuses
Fair. I completely agree with that point.

21 Dec 2024 at 16:58 | Open on autistics.life
Richard Degenne

@m @ater @breadandcircuses People agreeing politely on a social network?! What year is this, 2012?!

21 Dec 2024 at 18:44 | Open on mastodon.online
Jonathan Blackmore

@breadandcircuses Many autistic people have written about how ABA is essentially a conversion therapy. I have no experience of it personally, but it does appear designed to teach children to mask their behaviour, and there are many reports of people who have PTSD from it.

21 Dec 2024 at 14:55 | Open on mastodon.art
Franchesca

@JonathanBlackmore @breadandcircuses The book Neurotribes lays out the history of that so called autism “therapy” pretty comprehensively. The stuff Kanner put autistic kids through made Asperger (an actual Nazi) look like a moderate.

21 Dec 2024 at 22:09 | Open on mastodon.ie
masukomi

@breadandcircuses @Binder to be clear, Autistic people want NOTHING to do with ABA. It's literally torture that requires a lifetime of therapy to try and compensate for.

Conceptually imagine slapping your kid every time they dare to do something that their biologically different brain requires just because it's different than the behaviors a neurotypical brain requires.

Will they start acting "Normal”? Sure. Will they be fucked up as a result? Definitely.

21 Dec 2024 at 15:03 | Open on connectified.com
Piousunyn

@breadandcircuses This is U.S. and one #Musk say it can only get worse for we the people.

21 Dec 2024 at 15:25 | Open on universeodon.com
EarthMomma
DeadTOm, the jolly

@breadandcircuses And what's even more infuriating, this report will change nothing. They'll see no repercussions, and they'll be allowed to continue doing it.

It's the American way.

21 Dec 2024 at 16:22 | Open on dice.camp
tessarakt

@breadandcircuses Well, cutting access to ABA is (probably accidentally) a good thing.

21 Dec 2024 at 16:51 | Open on mastodon.social
divdev

@breadandcircuses I’m anti corporate healthcare and fuck United Health, but fuck ABA therapy. It’s no different than conversion therapy for gays.

21 Dec 2024 at 17:36 | Open on mastodon.social
clawfulneutral

tagging @yogthos as he boosted this, but ABA “therapy” for autism is descended directly from gay “conversion therapy” and a great many actual autistic people consider it abuse. FYI @breadandcircuses

21 Dec 2024 at 18:37 | Open on soc.port0.org
linear cannon

@breadandcircuses@climatejustice.social ABA is essentially the autism equivalent of performing conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ folks, and should not be treated as any kind of "gold standard"...

21 Dec 2024 at 18:52 | Open on nya.social
ℒӱḏɩę :blahaj:

@breadandcircuses ABA gives autistics ptsd. for once I agree with UHC on this

21 Dec 2024 at 19:19 | Open on tech.lgbt
violetmadder

@Lydie @breadandcircuses

See, this is where we need to be careful.

Just because for once they happened to cut support to something bad, doesn't automatically mean they were doing it for the right reasons.

22 Dec 2024 at 6:49 | Open on kolektiva.social
Darcy

@breadandcircuses

I know nothing about ABA but I think the bigger point here is UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was able to increase PROFITS by 4 BILLION DOLLARS in just 4 years.

How?

Only 3 ways I can think of

1. Massive increase in membership
2. Massive increases in membership cost

3. Reduce the coverage approved.

I'm thinking 3 is accountable for the largest portion of the 4 BILLION DOLLARS!!!

21 Dec 2024 at 19:41 | Open on mastodon.social
lions & tamsyn & bears, oh my!

@breadandcircuses yeah, limiting access to Abusive Behaviour Alteration is probably not such a terrible thing?

21 Dec 2024 at 21:19 | Open on dragon.style
Metafrastis
Bread and Circuses

Thank you to all those who've pointed out the problems with that ABA "therapy." I know a lot less than I should, probably, about autism, and you've taught me something here today.

And thanks *also* to the many other commenters who've pointed out that the motives of UnitedHealthcare have zero to do with seeking the best treatments for children with autism, and everything to do with saving money any way they can to make themselves richer.

21 Dec 2024 at 22:33 | Open on climatejustice.social
Flatbush Gardener 🌈
PaulaToThePeople

Hey @breadandcircuses
Could you maybe edit the original post too to reflect your new understanding of ABA?
The first post is always much more visible than any reply and as this topic is very sensitive, it can rightfully upset people.
Thanks.

22 Dec 2024 at 6:08 | Open on climatejustice.social
Samhain Night 4 Harris

@breadandcircuses ABA is widely acknowledged by Autistics as torture.

21 Dec 2024 at 22:54 | Open on mstdn.social
TinyGamerTris

@breadandcircuses

The more I learn about UnitedHealthCare the more I think we need a few more hits on the high-ups.

22 Dec 2024 at 2:42 | Open on universeodon.com
Jigme Datse

@breadandcircuses@climatejustice.social Suddenly, we have good news about UHG? #ABA is evidence based, to show that it causes intense trauma, and is #conversionThereapy for autistics. We ban it when it's being used to convert gays to ex-gays, but it's "evidence based" when the exact same methodology is used for autistic people.

I'm not being hyperbolic calling it, "conversion therapy" and "the exact same treatment". It is quite literally the same treatment, created by the same person, just with a different target population.

Saying ABA is evidence based, is saying #gayConversionTherapy is evidence based. Do you support that?

@breadandcircuses@climatejustice.social Suddenly, we have good news about UHG? #ABA is evidence based, to show that it causes intense trauma, and is #conversionThereapy for autistics. We ban it when it's being used to convert gays to ex-gays, but it's "evidence based" when the exact same methodology is used for autistic people.

I'm not being hyperbolic calling it, "conversion therapy" and "the exact...

22 Dec 2024 at 8:41 | Open on social.openpsychology.net
Jan (DL1JPH)

@breadandcircuses
I've said it before and I'll say it again - this once, they did the right thing, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

ABA, at its core, is just pavlovian training used - without any safeguards (!!) - on children who can't consent. Even dog trainers have higher standards of care than ABA practitioners. This stuff needs to be outlawed as child abuse.

Of course, with US insurance companies, they wouldn't care about any of this if they thought it would bring in more money...

@breadandcircuses
I've said it before and I'll say it again - this once, they did the right thing, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

ABA, at its core, is just pavlovian training used - without any safeguards (!!) - on children who can't consent. Even dog trainers have higher standards of care than ABA practitioners. This stuff needs to be outlawed as child abuse.

22 Dec 2024 at 10:25 | Open on sueden.social
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