Magellan Offers Benefits,
Care Coordination for Families Dealing
with Autism
Magellan now offers a comprehensive behavioral health and care coordination program for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including assistance for their families. “We are currently implementing this program for our employer, health plan and public sector customers in select states; however, we hope to expand to other locations to reach even more individuals,” according to Wanda Sullivan, Magellan director of product innovation.
“A large part of the success of this program will be the participation of quality providers certified in applied behavior analysis,” said Sullivan. “We are actively developing an autism specialty provider network in select states to assist our customers in helping individuals with ASD.”
Initially, Magellan contacted credentialed providers to determine their experience in providing services to those with an ASD diagnosis. Now, Magellan is expanding the network to include providers who are certified in applied behavior analysis (ABA) services, such as master’s- or doctoral-level certified ABA providers.
The incidence of ASD – defined as autistic disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) – is rising dramatically. Moreover, 23 states have passed legislation requiring health insurers to provide coverage for children with autism.
“Magellan has developed its program through extensive research and consultation with experts in the field,” said Gary Rosenberg, Magellan medical director. “Through this program, which is centered on ABA, we hope to help children and their parents who are struggling with this devastating disorder,” said Rosenberg.
Magellan recently developed Medical Necessity Criteria for Outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis. In addition, we have adopted the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Practice Guideline for the Management of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Both are available on this provider website.
If you are a certified provider of applied behavior analysis services, you may contact your Magellan field network representative to explore credentialing and contracting opportunities.