ABA Therapy Centers in Ohio

Ohio Medicaid managed care and ABA under 21

The Ohio Department of Medicaid tells its managed care plans to cover all services for members under 21 who have an autism diagnosis when medically necessary, and to provide ABA under the EPSDT benefit. Ohio is rewriting its ABA rules. In July 2026 the department said ABA is currently billed under several code types, including TBS and CPST, and presented draft rules 5160-34-01 to 5160-34-03 to tighten eligibility and billing.

• Draft rule: an autism diagnosis, confirmed by an evaluator who does not work for the ABA provider, is required.
• Draft rule: parents or guardians must take part in treatment, with a combined four hours a month in the plan.
• Draft rule: services run at a higher-intensity level (typically 10 to 25 hours a week) or a Focused level (typically 1 to 20).

Ohio's autism insurance law: ORC 1751.84 and 3923.84

Ohio requires individual and group health plans issued in the state to cover autism screening, diagnosis and treatment, including ABA as clinical therapeutic intervention. The law guarantees at least 20 hours a week of that intervention for members under 14, plus 20 visits a year each for speech and occupational therapy and 30 mental health visits. It does not reach non-grandfathered individual and small group plans. Coverage requires prior authorization and a prescription from a psychologist trained in autism, a developmental pediatrician, or a pediatric nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.

DODD waivers: SELF, Level One and Individual Options

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities runs three Medicaid waivers. SELF lets people direct where and how they get services, Level One adds minimal paid support to family and school supports, and Individual Options is the broader waiver for people with more specific needs. You start with the county board of developmental disabilities where you live. Waivers pay for home and community supports, not for ABA billed to your Medicaid plan.

Ohio Early Intervention through Help Me Grow

Ohio Early Intervention supports children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities, and it is Ohio's program under Part C of the federal IDEA. Parents, and anyone else, can refer a child through the Help Me Grow online form or by calling 1-800-755-GROW (4769). After a referral, a service coordinator assembles a team that decides whether your child is eligible.

Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Scholarship

The Autism Scholarship opens at age 3 for children with an IEP that names autism, or a private autism diagnosis written into an IEP or an autism education plan. It pays tuition to a special education program run by a registered private provider or an alternative public provider, plus other agreed services tied to educating the child. The Jon Peterson Scholarship covers ages 3 to 21 with any IEP disability, and the award depends on the primary category in the child's evaluation team report. Ohio's draft Medicaid rule would bar overlapping payment for ABA given in a school setting.

Certified Ohio behavior analysts and the Board of Psychology

Ohio certifies behavior analysts through the State Board of Psychology under ORC Chapter 4783, and the BACB lists Ohio among states that require licensure. Ask any provider for the supervising analyst's Ohio certificate or BACB certification. Ohio's draft Medicaid rule would let board certified behavior analysts and certified Ohio behavior analysts bill independently, and would require registered behavior technicians to hold BACB certification.