Stepping Stones Behavioral Solutions, an Indianapolis ABA provider for children with autism, has shut down as of June 12, citing Medicaid payment holds and a network termination.
Stepping Stones Behavioral Solutions, an Indianapolis provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism, has shut down, according to a closure notice sent to families and staff and obtained by Acuity. The notice, dated June 11, 2026, said the provider would cease operations at the end of business on June 12. The company is not affiliated with The Stepping Stones Group, a separate national therapy and staffing company with a similar name that is not closing.
As of publication, the company’s website was inactive. Acuity attempted to reach Stepping Stones for comment, and an email to its listed address was returned as undeliverable.
What the Closure Letter Says
The company says its Medicaid payments were placed on hold in November 2025 following fraud allegations that it describes as fully investigated and found to be without merit, with funds not released until February 2026. It says that three-month gap was devastating and that it never fully recovered. According to the notice, the company consolidated from seven locations to four in February, citing rate cuts and proposed reimbursement reductions, and was removed from Anthem’s Medicaid network in April, issuing a 60-day notice to affected families on April 27. The company says it passed every audit at 100% and that its leadership took out loans and spent personal savings to keep clinics open before deciding to close.
Acuity could not independently verify the company’s characterizations of the fraud allegations, the audits, or the network termination.
Indiana’s Shifting Medicaid Landscape
The closure comes amid upheaval in Indiana’s Medicaid program. In November 2025, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced it would drop MDwise as a managed care option for the Healthy Indiana Plan and Hoosier Healthwise programs, effective January 1, 2026, affecting roughly 300,000 residents, after a review the agency said found MDwise the most expensive and lowest in quality of the state’s four plans. MDwise, which challenged the decision in court, had members reassigned to Anthem, CareSource, or Managed Health Services. The Stepping Stones notice points to that transition, along with broader rate pressure and monthslong insurance credentialing backlogs that it says left it providing care without payment.
Continuity of Care and Abrupt ABA Closures
Abrupt ABA closures can disrupt care for children who depend on consistent therapy, a growing concern as the sector consolidates and some operators face financial strain. Provider organizations have begun positioning themselves to help families move to new providers. In a statement to Acuity, Illinois Providers for ABA Access and Quality (IPAAQ) said continuity of care is critical for children and families and that the group “welcomes confidential conversations with organizations considering closure, to connect families with local ABA providers and support continuity of care.” IPAAQ added that the autism provider community “is strongest when organizations work together to support families through these transitions and ensure no child falls through the cracks.”
