Pa. gets OK to use Medicaid to help adults with autism

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania has become the first state in the nation to receive the federal government’s permission to spend Medicaid dollars on services that enable autistic adults to live more independently, Gov. Ed Rendell said Thursday.

The state received approval earlier this month for a waiver from existing Medicaid rules to spend $20 million a year in combined state and federal dollars on home and community-based services for autistic adults.

Federal special-education law requires public schools to provide services for children with autism and other disabilities through age 21, but no similar entitlement has been available in Pennsylvania for adults with the disorder.

“Prior to the establishment of this waiver program, there was nothing designed for people with autism once they reached the age of 21,” Rendell said in a statement.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have previously allowed states to spend Medicaid money on programs targeting autistic children, but not adults, spokeswoman Mary Kahn said.

Autism is a complex developmental disability. It is characterized by repetitive behaviors and poor social interaction and communication skills.