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Nearly 1,000 Arizona children have lost or will soon lose their autism therapy coverage after Medicaid insurance plans canceled contracts with two of the state's largest providers.

Why it matters: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is critical to communication and life skills development and prohibitively expensive if not covered by insurance, parents and providers told Axios.

Threat level: "This is not a luxury. This is the difference between a child thriving and a child disappearing back into silence," said Elizabeth Galvez, the mother of three boys with autism, two of whom were nonverbal before ABA therapy.

State of play: Late last year, Mercy Care canceled its contracts with Action Behavior Centers (ABC) and Centria, which together have about 50 ABA facilities statewide. Another Medicaid provider, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, also canceled its contract with ABC.

Some families received temporary extensions, while others lost coverage early this year.

What they're saying: Mercy Care spokesperson Deborah Hillman did not answer questions about why the contracts were canceled. In a statement she said the nonprofit insurer stands by its decision, "which was made thoughtfully and in alignment with our responsibility to members and network standards," and that it is confident that children can continue their care at one of the 70-plus remaining in-network ABA providers statewide.

UnitedHealthcare did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Yes, but: Parents we spoke to said ABA waitlists were already months-long before Centria and ABC were removed as options. Many noted that other providers are significantly further from their homes and that changing their children's routines could undo progress.

Man carrying child on shoulders holding bright yellow sign reading "ABA helped me find my voice" at outdoor protest with diverse group holding various signs under blue sky.

Seth Bell-Eros and son Noah were among the protestors at the Capitol. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios

Zoom in: Lea Zibeth, a 28-year-old single mother, told us she was on a waitlist for eight months before getting her 3-year-old son Aiden into ABA last August.

Aiden, who was nonverbal when he began 40-hours-per-week ABA, started speaking last month — an incredible achievement that could easily regress without continued care, Zibeth said.

He received a one-time extension for services through May. After that, Zibeth said she'll likely have to quit her job to take care of him.

The latest: Nearly 100 parents, providers and advocates gathered outside the state Capitol on Thursday to demand insurers revive the contracts. Several mothers shared stories of successes their children experienced with ABA.

Galvez said earlier this week, her sons were debating which dinosaur is the coolest — "this may seem small to you, but to us, it's a miracle."

Kim Powell introduced her 4-year-old son, who was nonverbal before ABA. He confidently spelled his name for reporters: "T-e-d-d-y; my name is Teddy."

How it works: ABA is individualized, one-on-one therapy that encourages communication, builds practical life skills and reduces behaviors that interfere with safety or learning, Jamie Alexander, a regional clinical director for ABC, told Axios.

It's often used as an early-intervention strategy to prepare children for traditional school settings.

What we're watching: Parents are hoping the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Arizona's Medicaid agency, will pressure the plans to restore service options.

Arizona children lose access to major providers of autism therapy

Parents say insurer contract cuts disrupt critical ABA therapy services.

A group of diverse protestors hold colorful signs with messages like "PATIENTS over PROFIT!", "DON'T FORGET US", and "AZ KIDS OVER Profits" in front of a government building with palm trees and a clear blue sky.

Parents are demanding Medicaid insurers restore autism therapy services contracts with Action Behavior Centers and Centria. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios

Nearly 1,000 Arizona children have lost or will soon lose their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="autism therapy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/researchers-identify-four-distinct-types-of-autism" data-vars-content-id="01756b37-db97-4945-8b28-250260b7592e" data-vars-headline="Arizona children lose access to major providers of autism therapy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/09/researchers-identify-four-distinct-types-of-autism" target="_self">autism therapy</a> coverage after Medicaid insurance plans canceled contracts with two of the state&#x27;s largest providers.Why it matters: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is critical to communication and life skills development and prohibitively expensive if not covered by insurance, parents and providers told Axios.

News

Health

After a very brief heat reprieve brought on by Monday's storm, temperatures are expected to climb once again, with some forecasts calling for 100-degree weather next week.

👎 Why it matters: That's more than a month sooner than we're supposed to see triple-digit temperatures.

State of play: To add a bit of levity to our least favorite time of the year, we're asking you all to share your guesses as to when Phoenix Sky Harbor will record 100 degrees and 110 degrees for the first time.

And for a fun bonus, you can also guess the hottest high temperature we'll see in 2026.

By the numbers: The average first 100-degree day arrives on May 2, though the earliest occurrence came March 26, 1988, per the National Weather Service.

And we typically hit 110 degrees on June 11, with the earliest occurrence recorded on May 8, 1989.

Guess the first 100-degree day in Phoenix

Some forecasts calling for 100-degree weather next week.

Illustration of the Phoenix skyline under a hot sun.

After a very brief heat reprieve brought on by Monday&#x27;s storm, temperatures are expected to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="climb once again" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/02/phoenix-hits-90-f-a-month-early" data-vars-content-id="276c5dc4-7197-4f6e-92f9-b0bc50034e49" data-vars-headline="Guess the first 100-degree day in Phoenix" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/02/phoenix-hits-90-f-a-month-early" target="_self">climb once again</a>, with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="some forecasts" data-vars-click-url="https://ktar.com/arizona-weather-news/heat-wave-phoenix-showers/5833510/" data-vars-content-id="276c5dc4-7197-4f6e-92f9-b0bc50034e49" data-vars-headline="Guess the first 100-degree day in Phoenix" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ktar.com/arizona-weather-news/heat-wave-phoenix-showers/5833510/" target="_blank">some forecasts</a> calling for 100-degree weather next week.👎 Why it matters: That&#x27;s more than a month sooner than we&#x27;re supposed to see triple-digit temperatures.

Climate

Amazon's driverless cars are coming to Phoenix, the company announced on Monday.

Why it matters: Alphabet-owned Waymo has taken over the Valley with its popular robotaxis and competitors are looking to get in on the autonomous vehicle action.

State of play: Zoox, Amazon's AV subsidiary, is deploying SUVs with safety drivers behind the wheel to manually map the Valley this spring ahead of a fully autonomous launch.

The company will also open a "fusion center" in Scottsdale, where employees will provide teleguidance, mission control and rider support, according to a news release.

The intrigue: Zoox has developed a new vehicle designed for fully autonomous ride-hailing, which will arrive in the Valley after testing.

It has carriage-style seating and no steering wheel or pedals — a decidedly different approach than Waymo, which operates a fleet of Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles.

A pale blue-gray autonomous shuttle with oversized wheels and dark glass sides sits on a city street at night, while red light-trail car traffic blurs past; two pedestrians stand on the sidewalk.

Zoox will bring its autonomous shuttles, seen here in Las Vegas, to Phoenix after the testing phase. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Zoom out: Phoenix will be the ninth city where Zoox is testing and the company expects to expand into Dallas imminently as well.

Zoox began free public rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco last year.

Zoom in: The company said that coming to Phoenix will allow it to test its sensors and batteries against extreme heat and dust on high-speed roads.

Amazon's Zoox brings driverless car testing to Phoenix

Zoox will map the Valley and open a Scottsdale operations hub.

Split-image: left peach panel with the word "Phoenix"; right shows a white Zoox autonomous SUV with a rainbow gradient on the rear, parked on gravel in front of a city skyline.

Amazon&#x27;s driverless cars are coming to Phoenix, the company announced on Monday.Why it matters: Alphabet-owned <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/04/waymo-phoenix-expansion" data-vars-content-id="e8dd3499-84f1-48c0-b01d-1c0afa203c0e" data-vars-headline="Amazon&#x27;s Zoox brings driverless car testing to Phoenix" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/04/waymo-phoenix-expansion" target="_self">Waymo</a> has taken over the Valley with its popular robotaxis and competitors are looking to get in on the autonomous vehicle action.

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Snakes and scorpions took notice of last week's warm weather and emerged from their winter naps early, wildlife managers and pest control specialists warn.

Why it matters: It's already time to keep your shoes on in the house and watch out for backyard slitherers.

State of play: Snakes and scorpions enter a hibernation-like state during cold temperatures, but with winter-weather seasons getting shorter, so are their slumbers.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department last week warned of an increased risk of rattlesnake encounters after the Valley surpassed 90 degrees.

Last week's heat streak woke up the scorpions, too, Burns Pest Elimination spokesperson Mike Boyle told Axios. All they need is two or three days of nighttime temperatures above 40 degrees to set off their alarms.

The intrigue: Scorpions are often the most active — and easiest for us to spot — right after they emerge from dormancy because they're hungry, Boyle said.

They feed on beetles, crickets and other small bugs, which like to take refuge in our temperature-controlled homes.

Scorpions can fit through window or door cracks as thin as a credit card to get to their prey indoors, he said.

We're more likely to see rattlesnakes right after they wake up, too, because temperatures are still mild enough for them to roam during daytime hours.

Once temperatures climb into 100-degree territory, the snakes swap their routine and move around at night instead, according to the Game and Fish Department.

Reality check: Though scorpions and snakes are nightmare fodder for many, they don't seek out humans.

"Rattlesnakes are not aggressive — most occurrences of rattlesnake bites occur when someone is trying to corner or capture a snake," Audrey Owens, amphibians and reptiles program manager at the Game and Fish Department, said in a press release last week.

Boyle said that scorpions are terrified of humans and that most stings occur accidentally when someone steps on them.

Snakes and scorpions emerge early after heat streak

Wildlife officials warn early heat is bringing rattlesnakes and scorpions out of dormancy.

Close-up of a brown and tan patterned rattlesnake coiled on rocky ground and a yellowish-brown scorpion on a textured bark surface, both blending with their surroundings.

A Western diamondback rattlesnake and bark scorpion. Photos: Arterra/Universal Images Group and Kike Calvo/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Snakes and scorpions took notice of last week&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="warm weather" data-vars-click-url="http://axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/02/phoenix-hits-90-f-a-month-early" data-vars-content-id="f52a7d22-7fee-4c30-a43b-3d7629cfb225" data-vars-headline="Snakes and scorpions emerge early after heat streak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://axios.com/local/phoenix/2026/03/02/phoenix-hits-90-f-a-month-early" target="_self">warm weather</a> and emerged from their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="winter naps early" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/02/28/phoenix-scorpion-sightings-winter" data-vars-content-id="f52a7d22-7fee-4c30-a43b-3d7629cfb225" data-vars-headline="Snakes and scorpions emerge early after heat streak" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/02/28/phoenix-scorpion-sightings-winter" target="_self">winter naps early</a>, wildlife managers and pest control specialists warn.Why it matters: It&#x27;s already time to keep your shoes on in the house and watch out for backyard slitherers.

ASU president Michael Crow can't get enough of AI. He consistently uses nine separate platforms, including one he can converse with during his morning hikes.

The big picture: To him — a man so "obsessed with the way knowledge was organized" that he spent his undergrad years pulling one book from every classification range in the Iowa State University library — AI is the tireless reference librarian he's always wanted.

It's also the great education equalizer, allowing anyone to access anything in a manner they can understand, he said.

Why it matters: Crow argues AI can become a force-multiplying, boundary-busting tool — one that helps replace higher education's "industrial" model with more personalized learning.

His philosophy stands apart from that of many university leaders who frame AI primarily as a cheating risk.

The latest: Crow shared his vision during an artificial intelligence literacy event hosted by EqualAI, a national nonprofit that helps institutions establish AI oversight structures to build trust in the technology.

State of play: ASU has made AI tools "ubiquitously available" to all students, encourages educators to integrate them into classrooms and brought on Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am to teach a class on "the agentic self," Crow said.

ASU offers AI training but stops short of requiring it, with Crow saying innovation spreads best through enablement, not mandates.

Between the lines: He said he believes much of the hesitancy surrounding AI at other institutions stems from a fear of how the technology will impact faculty or existing programs.

That framing ignores that traditional education methods do not work for everyone, something Crow said is evident, given there are 40 million Americans who attended college but never graduated.

"People are not thinking about the learner. They're not thinking about, 'How do we get more kids educated … inexpensively,'" Crow said. "They're thinking about, 'What does this mean for my job?'"

The intrigue: Crow downplayed alarmist fears, arguing AI — like any tool — requires thoughtful design and management.

He suggested the fear surrounding AI is less about the technology itself and more about the possibility of being replaced, a pattern repeated throughout history.

What they're saying: "The second that change stops, we become static. And when we become static, we can't evolve. And if we can't evolve, you're dead," he said.

1 for the road: Crow, infamous for weaving historical tidbits into his speeches, told the audience how Socrates did not believe in written language because he thought it "weakened the mind."

To him, today's AI skepticism echoes that ancient fear.

ASU president Michael Crow pushes AI as education equalizer

Crow says AI can personalize learning and expand college access.

Older man in a blue plaid jacket and light blue shirt speaking and gesturing with hands, against a dark blue backdrop with circular logos and the word "CONCORDIA".

ASU president Michael Crow says AI is the tool humanity has awaited. Photo: Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Annual Summit

ASU president <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Michael Crow" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/09/23/arizona-state-university-innovation-us-news-world-report" data-vars-content-id="f72b40ee-494a-4511-8946-17c46529025a" data-vars-headline="ASU president Michael Crow pushes AI as education equalizer" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/09/23/arizona-state-university-innovation-us-news-world-report" target="_self">Michael Crow</a> can&#x27;t get enough of AI. He consistently uses nine separate platforms, including one he can converse with during his morning hikes.The big picture: To him — a man so &quot;obsessed with the way knowledge was organized&quot; that he spent his undergrad years pulling one book from every classification range in the Iowa State University library — AI is the tireless reference librarian he&#x27;s always wanted.

Jessica Boehm

Featured stories

Guess the first 100-degree day in Phoenix

Amazon's Zoox brings driverless car testing to Phoenix

Arizona children lose access to major providers of autism therapy

Snakes and scorpions emerge early after heat streak

ASU president Michael Crow pushes AI as education equalizer