Chaos, Contracts & Chatbots: What’s Really Steering ABA?
1. The Contract Temptation: Are You Misclassifying Your BCBAs?
Everyone loves flexibility—until the IRS shows up. In this article, we explore why so many ABA companies are misclassifying BCBAs as 1099 contractors and what the consequences can be. Spoiler alert: the IRS doesn't care if you call it a “contract,” if your BCBA is writing plans, supervising RBTs, and billing under your NPI—they’re likely an employee.
The article dives deep into the "key aspect of the business" clause, one of the IRS’s clearest indicators that someone should be on payroll, not a...
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1099. It also highlights the dangerous (and all too common) mistake of having W-2 RBTs supervised by 1099 BCBAs—a move that throws compliance, accountability, and common sense into a blender.
If you’re using contractors to perform core clinical functions, it’s time to rethink your structure before it costs you back pay, penalties, or your payer contract. Ethical and scalable ABA starts with getting this right.
2. When Systems Fail Quietly: Medicare Fraud and ABA Fallout
UnitedHealth and Optum are in the hot seat, facing federal investigations into Medicare fraud allegations. While that might sound far removed from ABA, providers are starting to see the ripple effect. This piece connects the dots between national scrutiny and an unsettling trend in our field: “without cause” terminations of ABA contracts by large payers.
The article documents real-world provider reports of abrupt contract cancellations, unexplained audits, and silence from network managers. And while we’re not making legal claims, the timing is, let’s say, interesting. Whether it's the aftermath of a ransomware attack or internal cost-cutting, ABA providers are being left in the dark—with families and staff caught in the fallout.
If your contract can be ended with 90 days' notice and no explanation, you need to be prepared. This article offers practical advice and ethical reflection for navigating the uncertainty.
3. Whose Hand Is on the Wheel? AI, Clinical Judgment, and Ethical Red Flags
If you thought Reddit was just for cat videos and conspiracy theories, think again. This article unpacks a secret AI experiment from the University of Zurich where bots successfully influenced users on Reddit—then shifts the conversation to something even more important: the future of AI in ABA.
We’re already using AI to recommend clinical hours, draft treatment plans, and schedule services. But what happens when that AI is tied to billing systems? If the tool makes more money when more hours are recommended, do we question its motives—or just assume the machine knows best?
When clinical decisions are already built on shaky ground, handing them over to opaque algorithms may not be progress—it might be automation without accountability. This article challenges ABA leaders to build systems that center clients, not just efficiency.
