Paying for ABA Therapy: Insurance

By the way, in my last post, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't think ABA was NOT EXPENSIVE because it's CRAZY EXPENSIVE! But, worth every penny and more. Insurance companies are just starting to be required to pay for ABA therapy, not in Alabama YET, but hopefully SOON! Here's how you may qualify for therapy NOW:

1. Military insurance (TriCare I think?) is the only insurance that currently covers ABA therapy nationwide. So, if you're in the military, get to it!

2. Medicaid. Collect documentation of your child's condition and apply for Social Security Disability Benefits. Benefits are based on the parents' income, so if you are struggling, you can get a good bit of help. I think the maximum payout right now is around $740/month.

PLUS, in Alabama at least, when you're approved for SSI benefits, your child will automatically be signed up for Medicaid. When you get that card in the mail, select a primary care physician that accepts Medicaid and ask them to give you a referral for behavioral therapy. Medicaid will pay for the therapy.

Note: I've heard that Social Security will deny all claims the first time to get rid of most people. We were denied the first time and approved the second. Then you'll get back-pay for all the time you were waiting on approval, and Medicaid will cover past medical bills, too, as long as you qualified during the months you were waiting.

Barret is on his last few months of his ABA program at The Riley Center, so we haven't looked into Medicaid covered therapists. I think most of these are individual therapists.

The Riley Center is a non-profit organization and can not accept Medicaid, but they do accept other insurances. I really like that Barret gets a different therapist every hour so that no one therapist gets burnt out. Plus Barret learns to "perform" for a lot of different people. I think this has helped him respond to us as well. But, if you can't afford the clinic setting, look into Medicaid covered therapy.