Volume 36, Number 11
NOVEMBER 2025
WWW.ACCESSPRESS.ORG
Autism fraud alleged in scheme
ACCESS PRESS HAPPY HOUR Thursday, November 6 4:30-7 pm Lake Monster Brewing 550 Vandalia St. St. Paul
AuSM
Participants played with a bright parachute during an AuSM activity.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Autism Society of Minnesota faces major funding shortfall by Jane McClure What are described as “drastic policy and funding changes” have created a $500,000 budget shortfall for the Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM). The nonprofit, which has served Minnesotans for more than 50 years, will have to cut programs or even close if the gap cannot be filled by year’s end. The nonprofit serves more than 14,000 people each year with an array of services. It has already made several cuts. More may be ahead
for programs including advocacy and public policy; mental health; education and training; camps and social programs; and public safety and health equity. Closing the doors entirely is reluctantly being considered. The shortfall represents more than 20 percent of AuSM’s budget. An email from AuSM stated: “This isn’t just another appeal. It is a turning SHORTFALL To page 4
Federal shutdown’s effects are being felt everywhere A federal government shutdown that began October 1 is being watched carefully by disability community leaders. As the November issue of Access Press went to press late last month, the shutdown was on track to be one of the longest in national history. The longest-ever shutdown of 35 days happened in President Donald Trump’s first term. The inability to pass 12 different funding bills meant that several government services and programs went dark at the start of the federal fiscal year. More were expected to follow as the shutdown dragged on. Some services, such as Social Security, remained open to distribute checks but without staff needed to provide many services. The federal shutdown is a standoff between the Trump administration and members of Congress over funding, specifically funding for health care. It occurs against a backdrop of other issues as the administration makes sweeping changes in the federal government. Minnesota state officials are keeping residents abreast of developments. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) notes no immediate impact to Medicaid or
ISTOCK
Fraud schemes tied to state programs continue to roil Minnesota disability services nonprofits and the clients they serve. The latest charges are against Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28. She was charged earlier this fall with wire fraud, for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000. The fraud took place from November 2019 through December 2024. Smart Therapy obtained more than $14 million in reimbursements from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and UCare. Hassan split the proceeds with her partners, who haven’t been charged. She also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars abroad, using some funds to purchase real estate in Kenya. Information from the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) outlined the alleged scheme, in which Hassan and others targeted the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (“EIDBI”) benefit. It offers medically necessary intervention services to people under age 21 with autism. EIDBI covers various treatments designed to help children on the autism spectrum develop social and emotional skills. Specific, detailed requirements must be met before someone receives EIDBI benefits. Those delivering services must also meet several requirements. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said the charges against Hassan are part of an ongoing investigation. “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme,” he said. “From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now autism services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.” Hassan formed and registered Smart Therapy LLC in November 2019, listing herself as sole owner. Others had ownership stakes they didn’t reveal. She enrolled Smart Therapy as a provider agency in the EIDBI program and in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Smart Therapy didn’t meet program requirements, employing unqualified individuals as “behavioral technicians.” Employees were in their teens, with no formal education beyond high school and no treatment training or certifications. Hassan and her partners needed children with an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan, approaching parents in the Somali community. They also paid monthly cash kickback payments to the parents of children who enrolled their children in Smart Therapy to receive autism services, ranging from $300 to $1,500 per month, per child. The parents’ payments were covered through fraudulent billings to Medicaid. DOJ documents state that parents threatened to leave Smart Therapy and take AUTISM FRAUD To page 4
DHS programs. “We continue to evaluate impacts and prepare for a possible longerterm shutdown. We will communicate with partners and clients as the situation evolves,” its website stated. Updates will be shared at https://mn.gov/dhs/ The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families (CYS) posts updates at https://dcyf.mn.gov/federal-shutdown CYS received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services that if the federal government shutdown continues into November, there won’t be enough funds to pay November Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. SNAP benefits provide needed food assistance for many low-income households. The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) may also be affected starting November 1. State officials sought a solution that would allow MFIP cash benefits to continue in November. One federal change was at least temporarily blocked in mid-October as a federal judge put a temporary halt to a plan that would obliterate the special education office of the U.S. Department of Education plan. Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District SHUTDOWN To page 4
TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4766
PAID
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE