ABA Therapy Centers in South Carolina

Healthy Connections Medicaid ASD services

Any Medicaid member from birth to age 21 who has an ASD diagnosis and meets medical necessity can receive ASD treatment, and Medicaid covers ABA. The diagnosis must come from a full testing report by a psychologist, licensed psycho-educational specialist (LPES) or developmental pediatrician. Your ABA provider requests prior authorization, so you do not file the request yourself. Providers often keep waiting lists, so ask about start dates at intake.

• Managed care plans: Absolute Total Care, Healthy Blue, Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, Humana Healthy Horizons and Select Health.
• Not sure whether your child is in managed care or fee-for-service? Call the Member Service Center at 888-549-0820.

Ryan's Law: S.C. Code 38-71-280

Ryan's Law applies to group health plans from insurers licensed in South Carolina, including the State Health Plan. It excludes individual-market plans, individually underwritten plans and small-employer plans. Coverage requires a diagnosis at age eight or younger and runs to any eligible person under sixteen. Behavioral therapy carries a $50,000 yearly maximum, adjusted each January 1 by the Consumer Price Index; the statute does not publish the current dollar figure, so ask your plan for this year's number. A treating medical doctor must prescribe treatment under a written plan.

BHDD waivers: Community Supports and ID/RD

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) now runs the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, formerly DDSN. It operates the Community Supports Waiver and the Intellectual Disability/Related Disabilities (ID/RD) Waiver with SCDHHS. Both require Medicaid eligibility, an ICF/IID level of care and an allocated waiver slot. Eligible applicants join a waiver waiting list. Autism eligibility evaluations start at 1-800-289-7012. The old Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) Waiver ended in 2017, when ASD services moved into the Medicaid state plan.

BabyNet Early Intervention, birth to age three

BabyNet is South Carolina's early intervention program for children from birth to age three. Eligibility rests on an assessment of the child's skills, and services are free for any eligible child. You can refer your own child without a doctor's referral. Call the Central Referral Team at (866) 512-8881, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or submit the online referral. A team member then schedules an intake appointment.

Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF)

The ESTF gives eligible South Carolina students a scholarship of $7,634 for the 2026-2027 school year, and the Department of Education lists ABA therapy among approved uses for students with disabilities. For 2026-2027, household income can reach 500% of the federal poverty guidelines. The student must attend a school other than the zoned public school, and students in the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children's Fund program do not qualify. Check the Department of Education for current application windows.

Who can deliver ABA in South Carolina

The BACB's table of states that require licensure of behavior analysts does not list South Carolina, so no state license is required to practice. Ask an agency who supervises each case and what credential that supervisor holds. For Medicaid, confirm the provider is enrolled with South Carolina Healthy Connections and in network with your managed care plan before you start an assessment.