Greensboro autism center shuts down after insurance billing dispute

A Greensboro autism center that served about 100 local families abruptly shut down, leaving Guilford County parents scrambling for new therapy slots, work coverage and transportation after an insurance billing dispute pushed Lovely Day ABA and Autism Services into a financial corner.

The company told families and staff in an email Tuesday morning that it could no longer keep operating. FOX8 WGHP reported the decision followed months of back-and-forth over the insurance issue, a sign the closure was the end of a long reimbursement fight rather than a sudden business decision. Lovely Day ABA said the situation had become too dire to continue.

The shutdown hits children who depend on autism therapy built on routine, repetition and trust. For families, the loss can mean missed appointments, disrupted treatment plans and a race to transfer records before a child falls further behind. For the center’s roughly 75 employees, it also means sudden uncertainty in a specialized field where trained providers are not easy to replace.

Lovely Day ABA’s Greensboro office is listed at 4160 Piedmont Parkway, Suite 207, and the organization says it was founded by Mamie A. Turner, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The business’s own site says ABA services are covered by most insurance companies in North Carolina for children ages 0 to 21 with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, underscoring how a payment dispute can still shut down care even when services are widely covered on paper.

The broader policy backdrop helps explain why the loss matters across Guilford County. North Carolina’s autism insurance law, enacted in 2015, took effect July 1, 2016, according to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Blue Cross NC says state law covers Adaptive Behavioral Treatment for members up to age 19 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. NC Medicaid says children with ASD enrolled in Medicaid have access to a continuum of services, including Research-Based Behavioral Health Treatment, and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said in 2025 it had reviewed that program because of rising utilization and spending trends.

For families now trying to land somewhere else, the question is immediate: where do these children go next? In a county already navigating demand for pediatric and developmental services, the answer will depend on which clinics have openings, which providers can take over care quickly and which parents can keep therapy moving without losing time, wages or access.