North Dakota Medicaid Expands Coverage For Autism Services

The North Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced on July 21, 2017, that the state's updated Medicaid plan will provide coverage for applied behavioral analysis (ABA), an evidence-based treatment for autism. Through the Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, North Dakota beneficiaries up to age 21 will be able to access ABA following a recommendation by a primary care professional.

The state estimates that about 11,150 state residents have been diagnosed with autism. The state Department of Public Instruction had a record of almost 1,175 students with an educational determination of . . .