California Medicaid Launches Autism Coverage For Behavioral Health Treatment

On September 15, 2014, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) implemented a new Medicaid provision to cover applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children diagnosed with autism. Effective September 15, 2014, all Medi-Cal managed care health plans must cover behavioral health treatment (BHT), including ABA, for beneficiaries up to age 21 who are diagnosed with autism.

DHCS defines BHT as professional services and treatment programs, including but not limited to ABA and other evidence-based behavior intervention programs that develop or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of an individual with autism. BHT is the design . . .