Is ABA Therapy Covered By Insurance In New Mexico?
Find out if Applied Behavior Analysis is covered by insurance in New Mexico.
Is ABA Therapy Covered By Insurance In New Mexico?
Yes, ABA will be covered by a majority of insurance companies in New Mexico.
In the state of New Mexico, health insurance companies are required by law to partially or fully cover medical expenses that are related to the treatment of children and young adults with autism. The cutoff for coverage is usually 19 years of age.
This means that parents will receive monetary assistance for their child's ABA treatment every year leading up to their 19th birthday. The most that health insurers will cover is $36,000 a year.
There are many ABA centers that charge significantly more than this.
The nationwide average for ABA has been estimated to be between $60,000 to $250,000.
Therefore, parents in New Mexico should search for additional ways to lower the costs of their child's treatment regimen.
Health insurance companies that have to comply with New Mexico's law must be located within its borders. Therefore, any nationwide organizations located within the state must also adhere to the standards that are laid out by the state government.
Is ABA Therapy Covered By Medicaid In New Mexico?
Yes, ABA is covered by Medicaid in the state.
Families living in New Mexico that have a child diagnosed with ASD are eligible to receive financial assistance through Medicaid when it relates to treatment that's deemed mandatory.
As Applied Behavior Analysis is considered a mandatory treatment for reducing symptoms associated with autism, parents can file a request to get it when an autism diagnosis is made. To make an official diagnosis, children typically speak with a psychologist several times, though one can be given even during a child's infancy.
The Medicaid portion of service in New Mexico is paid for through benefits as applicable ABA centers. Some parents may spend time searching at different centers since not all of them are required to take Medicaid for payment.
However, those that do will typically advertise this to parents before any form of contact is made. Additionally, psychologists can recommend appropriate ABA centers for parents.
While Medicaid is most often given as medical coverage for the children of parents based on their income level, this isn't the case for coverage in New Mexico.
It's also not of concern for the majority of US states since the federal government describes ABA as a required treatment plan.
Families can also find additional assistance for coverage through different grants at both the federal and state levels.
Will Insurance Cover ABA For ADHD In New Mexico?
Insurance may cover ADHD in New Mexico, but success at this tends to vary from family to family.
It's common knowledge that ADHD oftentimes carries symptoms that are similar to autism in many ways. For instance, someone on the spectrum may show repeat specific behaviors in like manner to those shown in ADHD patients.
Although there are many differences, ABA treatment is a proven way to mitigate ADHD symptoms, especially in young people.
Few states mandate coverage be provided to children with the disorder for ABA therapy. The best solution for parents to potentially get partial or full coverage is through their child's psychologist or pediatrician.
A formal recommendation sent to a parent's insurer may help in providing coverage, though this isn't guaranteed. Some ABA centers might take Medicaid for ADHD clients and grants could also reduce the costs.
Insurance Providers That Cover Applied Behavior Analysis In New Mexico
Stipulation changes are based on each insurer. Some, for example, may accept coverage only after a diagnosis is provided:
- Medicaid
- Cigna
- Kaiser Permanente
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Shield
References:
- https://www.autismspeaks.org/new-mexico-state-regulated-insurance-coverage
- https://www.asha.org/advocacy/state/info/nm/new-mexico-insurance-requirements-for-autism-spectrum-disorder/