Minnesota autism, disabled services providers among 15 charged with Medicaid fraud

U.S. newsMinnesota autism, disabled services providers among 15 charged with Medicaid fraudThe Justice Department said the providers defrauded Medicaid and other programs of more than $90 million and that two of them billed for autism services that were never provided.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald in Minneapolis on Thursday along with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.David Berding / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 21, 2026, 4:59 PM EDTBy Nicole Acevedo and Will UjekThe Justice Department on Thursday announced criminal charges against 15 people in Minnesota accused of defrauding Medicaid and several other state-run social services programs of more than $90 million.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“The fraud here in Minnesota is shocking,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald during a press conference in Minneapolis. “This is not the end of our work.”Top officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, joined McDonald in Minneapolis to announce the charges.The defendants are also accused of defrauding programs meant to provide housing and meals for those in need, as well as services for disabled people and autistic children, according to McDonald.He accused two of the people of defrauding $46.6 million from a publicly funded program meant to provide medical services to children with autism. The defendants allegedly “paid kickbacks to parents who brought their children to autism centers, diagnosed children with autism regardless of medical necessity, and billed for autism services that were never actually provided,” McDonald said.Kennedy described the scheme as “organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable children in America, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care an...