Private equity firms acquired more than 500 autism centers in the past decade

A study from Brown University's School of Public Health reveals that private equity firms have acquired over 500 autism therapy centers in the U.S. in the past decade. Most acquisitions occurred between 2018 and 2022.

Taxpayer-funded Medicaid insures many affected children, raising concerns that profit motives may overshadow care quality. Study author Yashaswini Singh notes,

“The big takeaway is that there is yet another segment of health care that has emerged as potentially profitable to private equity investors.”

The research urges further examination of how these investments affect therapy intensity and children's access to services. In particular, regions with higher autism rates attract more private equity interest. This study follow on from an earlier study "Pocketing Money Meant for Special Needs Kids: Private Equity in Autism Services" published by the Center for Economic and Policy Research that examined private equity's business models and case studies.