|
| Negotiating Health Insurance Funding for ABA Treatment |
| Tuesday, May 27, 2014 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| W185a (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
| Area: PRA/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Steven Woolf, Ph.D. |
| Chair: Steven Woolf (Beacon ABA Services) |
| STEVEN WOOLF (Beacon ABA Services) |
| CHRISTIAN BENAVIDES (Beacon ABA Services) |
| KELLEY HENRY (Beacon ABA Services) |
| Abstract: Currently, 37 states mandate that commercial health insurance providers fund treatment for their consumers affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The funding of ABA services through commercial insurance is a recent development, where coverage varies greatly according to state. Since January of 2011, Massachusetts has implemented an autism treatment mandate that permits families affected by ASD to access their health insurance to fund ABA treatment. The panel shall provide a thought provoking data-driven discussion about the changing landscape of funding for ABA services in Massachusetts through health care providers. The panel will present and discuss data collected from over 350 families receiving ABA services through their health care provider. The panel will present and display data on family demographics receiving ABA services, co-payments/deductibles information, goals/objectives selected for treatment, number of weekly service hours approved by commercial agents, and elements in behavioral assessment needed to successfully obtain a service authorization. Finally, the panel will address the usefulness of licensure relative to providing ABA services supported by commercial insurance. Overall, participants will leave this discussion with an in-depth understanding of how to provide evidenced based treatment to families affected by ASD within the realm of commercially supported health insurance. |
|
| |