On Wednesday, October 19, 2016, the Military Health System hosted an Autism Provider Round-Table meeting to discuss upcoming changes and updates with regards to ABA therapy. Although many issues were discussed, nothing is concrete, nor written into the TRICARE Policy manual, as of today. We advise our affected MSNN families to be aware and to advocate, but we ask that you refrain from panic or chaos.  This is all very complex and fluid, at this time. Until this information is “set into stone”, it is merely a discussion.

Many issues were addressed within the Round-Table discussion, including reimbursement rates, certification requirements for ABA providers, and Behavior Technician (BT) updates. TRICARE announced that it will be removing the requirement for the BCBA to obtain a new physician referral every six months. However, the BCBA will still need to submit the request with the treatment plan updates every six months.

The good news is, parents of a child in the ABA program will no longer have to submit their child’s IEP, as there have been numerous complaints about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

However, ABA services will no longer be authorized in the school setting. A school setting is governed and defined by the Department of Education. TRICARE also reiterated that no academic or educational goals will be allowed in ABA therapy. This issue could, potentially, create concern for our affected families, but again, please know the situation is complex.

We will keep you up-to-date as more information becomes available. We welcome any and all of your questions.

Thank you,

Military Special Needs Network