Press Releases

Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Rick W. Allen (R-GA) today demanded answers from Simcha Bendet, Founder of the Perfect Child—an autism therapy business. Bendet’s business was recently the subject of an article detailing predatory behaviors from autism care providers.

In the letter, Walberg and Allen write: “A recent Wall Street Journal article described instances in which autism therapy providers—including your company—allegedly submitted unusually large claims, charged rates substantially exceeding prevailing market prices, generated significant out-of-network reimbursement demands, and pursued payment directly from families following reimbursement disputes.”
 
The letter continues: “Allegations that health care providers may be submitting excessive charges, engaging in abusive reimbursement practices, or exploiting gaps in oversight raise significant concerns regarding the stewardship of plan assets. Accordingly, the Committee requests information to better understand how billing, reimbursement, and business practices within the autism therapy industry may be contributing to rising health care costs for workers, families, and job creators.”
 
The letter concludes: “The Committee’s objective is not to restrict access to medically necessary care, but rather to ensure that adequate laws and regulations are in place to protect employer-sponsored health plans, workers, and beneficiaries from waste, fraud, abuse, and excessive health care costs, and if not what legislative changes may be required. Transparency regarding provider reimbursement and billing practices is essential to understanding whether current market incentives are aligned with the interests of patients, employers, and plan participants.”

Read the letter here.

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