separate insurance policy for ABA

[MamaMaui24]

My insurance doesn't cover ABA. My husband's does, but it's limited and not that great coverage otherwise. We're looking into a private policy in addition to mine.

Does anyone else do this? Any recs? (We live in TX.)  DH has an appointment with an insurance rep. later this month for a policy we heard about that should be ~ $200/month.

[auntie]

I know of people doing this one of two ways.

Either they buy a separate policy to cover the services their employer's insurance won't cover or they apply for a Katie Becket Waiver (non-means tested Medicaid).

Of course this should be after they've exhausted IDEA's services via EI or their local school district. A lot of kids get ABA in a school or preschool setting.

[craftyone]

I know for us, our state mandates group insurance to pay for ABA therapy, but the dollar amount is capped per year and ends when he turns 7. We obtained a Medicaid waiver that pays for additional ABA therapy based upon his disability, but depending on severity, some children here have to wait years and years to get a waiver.

Other options are private ABA schools which may have a grant for tuition, public schools with ABA type programs, or *finding* a company that will pay 100% of therapy through a self funded insurance program.

[auntie]

Jul 15, 2014 21:00:56 GMT -5 craftyone said:

I know for us, our state mandates group insurance to pay for ABA therapy, but the dollar amount is capped per year and ends when he turns 7. We obtained a Medicaid waiver that pays for additional ABA therapy based upon his disability, but depending on severity, some children here have to wait years and years to get a waiver.

Other options are private ABA schools which may have a grant for tuition, public schools with ABA type programs, or *finding* a company that will pay 100% of therapy through a self funded insurance program.

Are you in Ohio?

A lot of states allow self funded insurance policies to opt out of Autism Coverage Mandates. Since most large Fortune 500 Companies are self funded as well as some non-profits like hospitals, this mandate can be useless for a lot of people.

[craftyone]

No Virginia. Like I mentioned, it's finding a company that will cover it. It's not easy and it's few and far between. I'm sure it's considered a "perk". Either my husband might (or I might go back to work) at Capital One headquarters since we have that option as we are in IT. They pay 100% for Autism coverage and 50k/yr extra in benefits can sway a person. I've become quite familiar with Aba therapists/schools around here that have clients who's parents work at cap one...


www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/docs/gr/erisa_tool_kit_9.12_0.pdf