Insurance
TRICARE — ABA Therapy
MCDS supports military families with TRICARE for ABA therapy where eligible.
Does TRICARE cover ABA therapy?
MCDS currently works with eligible TRICARE plans for ABA therapy. Because TRICARE spans many different employer groups and plan tiers, actual coverage, network participation, cost-share, and authorization requirements vary by plan and by individual policy. That is why the meaningful answer for your family requires a plan-specific benefits check — not a generic yes or no.
What MCDS does with TRICARE
To confirm whether your specific TRICARE plan will cover ABA therapy through MCDS, an intake team member will:
- Complete a benefits verification — eligibility, network participation, and cost-share.
- Confirm documentation already in place (diagnostic evaluation, referrals) and identify what is missing.
- Coordinate prior authorization after a BCBA-led assessment.
- Explain what your family is responsible for — see ABA therapy costs.
Services covered under most plans
Once authorized, ABA therapy at MCDS can be delivered in the settings that make clinical sense for your child:
- In-home ABA therapy
- Community-based ABA therapy
- School-based ABA support
- Telehealth ABA support
- Parent and caregiver training
Coverage and network participation vary by TRICARE region and plan.
Other plans MCDS works with
- AetnaMCDS works with eligible Aetna plans for ABA therapy. Coverage, network participation, prior authorization, and out-of-pocket responsibility vary by plan and by individual policy.
- CignaMCDS works with eligible Cigna plans for ABA therapy across South Florida.
- Florida BlueMCDS works with eligible Florida Blue plans for ABA therapy.
- UnitedHealthcareMCDS works with eligible UnitedHealthcare plans for ABA therapy.
- FL Medicaid FFSMCDS works with qualifying Florida Medicaid fee-for-service coverage for ABA therapy.
- Private PayMCDS works with private-pay families for ABA therapy across South Florida.
Insurance resources
- Verify benefitsLet MCDS check your plan before care begins.
- Prior authorizationThe plan-approval step for ABA therapy.
- Documentation requirementsWhat plans typically ask for.
- ABA therapy costsHow coverage becomes an out-of-pocket picture.
- Insurance checkerSee at a glance whether MCDS works with your plan family.
- Frequently asked questionsInsurance and clinical questions families ask most.