States Skirting Obligation to Cover ABA Therapy
February 14, 2019
By: Courtney Perkes
Source: Disability Scoop
Despite a federal mandate nearly five years ago, several state Medicaid programs are still failing to cover treatment like applied behavior analysis for children with autism, advocates say.
In 2014, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services issued a bulletin telling states to pay for “medically necessary diagnostic and treatment services” for kids with autism, but stopped short of directly requiring ABA therapy.
However, advocates say that because some children on the spectrum require ABA, every state should offer coverage to those who do. Most states have since done so, but some legislatures have not allocated funding, even though they’ve passed laws that require private insurers to cover ABA therapy.