Insurance that Allows ABA Therapist BT in School
Which insurance companies allow you to have your ABA therapy BT support your child in elementary school? I have Sutter Select/Optum and they will not allow my child’s BT to support him in Kindergarten. I’m thinking about switching to my husband’s insurance, but he has some choices: Kaiser, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna. Any of these or others that will cover grade school support?
Aug 19, 2019
Parent Replies
I have two kids with autism currently in public schools and who previously attended private schools.You don’t mention if your child is in K in public or private school. My understanding is that, even if an insurance company would pay for ABA in school, no local public school districts (I specifically researched BUSD, OUSD and WCCUSD) would allow a non-district employee to be an aide because of liability reasons. I have heard that some private schools will allow parents to bring in their own aide.
In summary, if your child is in public school and you are adamant their aide comes from your ABA provider, you could talk to an special education attorney and look at your (probably unsuccessful) legal options. If your child is in private school, and the school will allow you to bring in your own aide, I would first consider fighting your insurance company before switching insurance. Your current insurer should be open to providing ABA in both home and community settings (which include school, outings, classes, etc.). The Mental Health and Autism Insurance Project is fantastic. They can probably advise you on this further. Hope this is helpful to you and other parents in a similar situation.
I believe Kaiser does!
Kaiser is not a good option for behavioral health support, especially if you're looking for flexibility. In fact their behavioral health clinicians are gearing up for another strike for adequate staffing and realistic caseloads.