DFS-20-13-00005-E Provider Requirements for Insurance Reimbursement of Applied Behavior Analysis

5/15/13 N.Y. St. Reg. DFS-20-13-00005-E

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 20

May 15, 2013

RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

EMERGENCY RULE MAKING

 

I.D No. DFS-20-13-00005-E

Filing No. 444

Filing Date. Apr. 26, 2013

Effective Date. Apr. 26, 2013

Provider Requirements for Insurance Reimbursement of Applied Behavior Analysis

PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following action:

Action taken:

Addition of Part 440 (Regulation 201) to Title 11 NYCRR.

Statutory authority:

Financial Services Law, sections 202 and 302; Insurance Law, sections 301, 1109, 3216, 3221 and 4303; and Public Health Law, section 4406

Finding of necessity for emergency rule:

Preservation of public health and general welfare.

Specific reasons underlying the finding of necessity:

Chapters 595 and 596 of the Laws of 2011 require all policies and contracts subject to sections 3216(i)(25), 3221(l)(17) and 4303(ee) of the Insurance Law, which are issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after November 1, 2012, to provide coverage for autism spectrum disorder, including behavioral health treatment in the form of applied behavior analysis (“ABA”).

Chapters 595 and 596 of the Laws of 2011 also require that the Superintendent of Financial Services (the “Superintendent”), in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Education, promulgate regulations that establish standards of professionalism, supervision and relevant experience for individuals who provide or supervise behavioral health treatment in the form of ABA.

In response to the statutory directive, the Superintendent seeks to promulgate new 11 NYCRR 440 (Insurance Regulation 201). The Superintendent, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Education, has determined that 11 NYCRR 440 will require that certified behavior analysts who supervise ABA aides and ABA aides who work under the supervision of behavior analysts, meet the necessary minimum standards of education, training and relevant experience to ensure individuals with autism spectrum disorders (“ASDs”) receive ABA services from qualified providers.

This rule also is necessary to ensure that insurers and health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”) establish adequate provider networks and provider credentialing requirements that comply with this rule so that those entities may effectively provide insurance coverage for critical ABA therapy to those individuals diagnosed with ASDs, and for whom out-of-pocket costs for those services are prohibitively expensive.

In light of the foregoing, it is critical that this new 11 NYCRR 440 be adopted as promptly as possible, and this rule must be promulgated on an emergency basis for the furtherance of the public health and general welfare.

Subject:

Provider Requirements for Insurance Reimbursement of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Purpose:

Establish standards of professionalism, supervision, and relevant experience for providers of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Text of emergency rule:

Section 440.0 Purpose.

The purpose of this Part is to establish standards of professionalism, supervision, and relevant experience for individuals who provide or supervise the provision of behavioral health treatment in the form of applied behavior analysis, for insurance coverage pursuant to Insurance Law sections 3216(i)(25), 3221(l)(17) and 4303(ee).

Section 440.1 Definitions.

For purposes of this Part:

(a) Applied behavior analysis or ABA means the design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications, using behavioral stimuli and consequences, to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior, including the use of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of the relationship between environment and behavior.

(b) Applied behavior analysis aide or ABA aide means an individual who has met the education and experience requirements of this Part or, with respect to ABA provided to children receiving early intervention program services pursuant to an individualized family services plan under Title II-A of Article 25 of the Public Health Law, an individual who meets the minimum qualifications set forth in 10 NYCRR 69-4.25(e).

(c) Applied behavior analysis provider or ABA provider means:

(1) an ABA aide who, under supervision of a certified behavior analyst, directly provides ABA pursuant to an ABA treatment plan to an individual diagnosed with ASD;

(2) a certified behavior analyst who directly provides or supervises an ABA aide in the provision of ABA;

(3) a licensed provider; or

(4) a certified provider.

(d) Autism spectrum disorder or ASD shall have the meaning ascribed by Insurance Law section 3216(i)(25)(C)(i).

(e) Behavior analyst means an individual certified as a behavior analyst pursuant to a behavior analyst certification board.

(f) Behavior analyst certification board means:

(1) the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., a nonprofit corporation established to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services; or

(2) another nationally recognized association that has a certification process for ABA providers designated by the superintendent, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Education.

(g) Behavioral health treatment means, when prescribed or ordered for an individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by a licensed physician or licensed psychologist, counseling and treatment programs when provided by a licensed provider, and ABA when provided or supervised by a certified behavior analyst, that are necessary to develop, maintain, or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of an individual. Treatment programs include ABA treatment plans developed by a licensed provider and delivered by an ABA provider.

(h) Certified behavior analyst means a licensed provider who is certified as a behavior analyst pursuant to a behavior analyst certification board.

(i) Licensed provider means a psychiatrist, psychologist or licensed clinical social worker, or an individual licensed or otherwise authorized under Education Law Title VIII to practice a profession for which ABA is within the scope of that profession.

(j) Certified provider means a school psychologist or other individual certified by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to 8 NYCRR 80 to the extent that ABA is included within the scope of the individual’s duties.

Section 440.2 Scope of professional practice.

(a) Pursuant to Education Law Title VIII, an ABA provider or supervisor is strictly prohibited from performing or delegating the performance of any service or intervention that is included in the scope of practice of any profession licensed or otherwise authorized by the State, unless the provider or supervisor has the appropriate license, certification or registration, or is otherwise authorized by law to provide the service or intervention.

(b) Nothing in this Part shall be deemed to expand or diminish the scope of practice of any profession licensed under Education Law Title VIII, or give authorization to provide services included within such scopes of practice to any individual not otherwise authorized to provide such services under Title VIII of the Education Law.

(c) An insurer may deny coverage for ABA provided pursuant to an individualized education plan under Education Law Article 89. Nothing in this Part shall be deemed to restrict or supersede any requirements prescribed by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to Education Law Article 89 relating to the qualifications of individuals providing special education or related services to children with disabilities, including ABA.

Section 440.3 Supervision of ABA aides.

(a) An ABA aide must be supervised by a certified behavior analyst.

(b) A certified behavior analyst who supervises and oversees the provision of ABA by ABA aides shall meet the following minimum education, training and experience requirements:

(1) documented completion of a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education or 12 credits of matriculated or non-matriculated relevant coursework in behavioral interventions, including at a minimum the following content areas:

(i) basic principles, processes, and concepts of behavior analysis;

(ii) clinical application of ABA, including behavior assessment, selecting intervention outcomes and strategies, behavior change procedures and systems support, data collection and analyses to measure and monitor progress, including measurement of behavior and displaying and interpreting data; and

(iii) ethical issues related to the delivery of behavior interventions using ABA techniques; and

(2) a minimum of two years of documented full-time professional supervised work experience providing behavior interventions using ABA to individuals with ASD for whom such services have been proven effective in peer-reviewed, scientific research. The experience must include at a minimum:

(i) performing behavior assessments;

(ii) developing and evaluating individualized ABA services;

(iii) employing an array of scientifically validated, behavior analytic procedures, including discrete trial intervention, modeling, incidental teaching, and other naturalistic teaching methods, activity-embedded instruction, task analysis, and chaining;

(iv) using ABA methods in one-to-one intervention, small and large group intervention, and in transitions across those situations;

(v) using behavior change procedures and systems supports;

(vi) measuring behavior and displaying and interpreting behavior data;

(vii) conducting functional assessments (including functional analyses) of challenging behavior and selecting the specific assessment methods that are best suited to the behavior and the context; and

(viii) assessing, monitoring, documenting, evaluating, and modifying ABA techniques as necessary to promote the progress of the individual receiving ABA.

(3) The requirements set forth in this subdivision may be satisfied through coursework or experience submitted for professional licensure under Education Law Title VIII.

(c) A certified behavior analyst who supervises and oversees the provision of ABA by ABA aides shall be responsible for:

(1) developing individual ABA plans in collaboration with, as appropriate, the parents or caregivers of the individual receiving ABA, as well as psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, behavior analysts and ABA aides;

(2) directing the implementation of the individual ABA plans and the ongoing monitoring, systematic measurement, data collection, and documentation of the progress of the individual receiving ABA;

(3) modifying the individual ABA plans as necessary to promote progress toward goals, generalization of learning, and where applicable, transitioning of the individual receiving ABA across service delivery environments and settings;

(4) providing assistance, training, and support as needed by the parents or caregivers of the individual receiving ABA, as applicable, to assist them in follow-through specified in the individual’s ABA plan and to enhance development, behavior, and functioning;

(5) supervising ABA aides, including:

(i) a minimum of six hours per month in the first three months of employment of an ABA aide, and a minimum of four hours per month thereafter, of direct on-site observation of each ABA aide assigned to the individual receiving ABA; and

(ii) a minimum of two hours per month of indirect supervision of an ABA aide assigned to an individual receiving ABA, in a group or individual format, including:

(a) weekly review and signed approval of the record of the individual receiving ABA, progress notes and data, correspondence, and evaluation of written reports;

(b) participation in telephone conferences with the ABA aide and, as appropriate, the parent or caregiver of the individual receiving ABA;

(c) ensuring proper documentation of the intervention provided and the response of the individual receiving ABA;

(d) ensuring that the ABA aide follows the modifications in the plan of the individual receiving ABA; and

(e) other supervision and support that the ABA aide needs to successfully implement the ABA plan of the individual receiving ABA;

(6) ensuring that no responsibilities are delegated to the ABA aide that are included in the scope of any profession in Education Law Title VIII, for which the ABA aide is not licensed or otherwise authorized to perform pursuant to that Title; and

(7) convening a minimum of two team meetings per month with the ABA aide, as well as other providers, as appropriate, who are delivering services to the individual receiving ABA to review the progress, identify problems or concerns, and modify intervention strategies as necessary to enhance the development, behavior, and functioning of the individual receiving ABA.

Section 440.4 Qualifications for ABA aides.

An ABA aide shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

(a) A minimum level of education, as established by meeting at least one of the following requirements, except where Education Law Title VIII requires a higher level of education or authorization to provide ABA in the setting where the ABA aide will provide ABA:

(1) a high school diploma or its equivalent; and

(i) two years of full-time direct, supervised work experience providing services to children with disabilities; or

(ii) current matriculation in a degree program that is an approved professional preparation program for licensure under Education Law Title VIII for a profession that includes ABA within its scope, or a teacher preparation program leading to teacher certification;

(2) an associate’s degree or higher level degree in a profession listed in Education Law Title VIII or in teaching;

(3) certification as a teaching assistant; or

(4) certification as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst pursuant to a behavior analyst certification board;

(b) Prior to the provision of any services to any individual without direct, on-site supervision, completion of a child abuse and neglect identification and reporting workshop and a minimum of 20 hours of training or in-service in behavior interventions using ABA techniques within the past five years, including at a minimum:

(1) basic principles of behavior analysis;

(2) the application of these principles in behavior intervention, including collection of data as needed for monitoring progress;

(3) ethical issues related to the delivery of applied behavior interventions; and

(4) overview of autism and pervasive developmental disorder;

(c) Completion of a minimum of ten hours of additional training or in-service annually in topics pertaining to ABA and ASD; and

(d) An ABA aide providing ABA to a child receiving early intervention program services pursuant to an individualized family services plan under Title II-A of Article 25 of the Public Health Law must meet the requirements set forth in 10 NYCRR 69-4.25(e).

Section 440.5 Duties of ABA aides.

Under the supervision and direction of a certified behavior analyst in accordance with this Part, an ABA aide shall:

(a) assist in the recording and collection of data needed to monitor progress;

(b) participate in required team meetings; and

(c) complete any other activities as directed by his or her supervisor and as necessary to assist in the implementation of an individual ABA plan.

This notice is intended

to serve only as a notice of emergency adoption. This agency intends to adopt this emergency rule as a permanent rule and will publish a notice of proposed rule making in the State Register at some future date. The emergency rule will expire July 24, 2013.

Text of rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained from:

Camielle Barclay, NYS Department of Financial Services, 25 Beaver Street, New York, NY 10004, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Regulatory Impact Statement

1. Statutory authority: Financial Services Law sections 202 and 302, Insurance Law sections 301, 1109, 3216, 3221, and 4303, and Public Health Law section 4406.

Section 301 of the Insurance Law and sections 202 and 302 of the Financial Services Law authorize the Superintendent of Financial Services (the “Superintendent”) to prescribe regulations interpreting the provisions of the Insurance Law and to effectuate any power granted to the Superintendent under the Insurance Law.

Insurance Law section 1109 authorizes the Superintendent to promulgate regulations to effectuate the purposes and provisions of the Insurance Law and Article 44 of the Public Health Law with respect to contracts between a health maintenance organization (“HMO”) and its subscribers.

Insurance Law section 3216 establishes requirements for individual accident and health insurance policies and sets forth the benefits that must be covered under such contracts.

Insurance Law section 3221 establishes requirements and standard provisions for group or blanket accident and health insurance policies and sets forth the benefits that must be covered under such contracts.

Insurance Law section 4303 governs accident and health insurance contracts written by not-for-profit corporations and sets forth the benefits that must be covered under such contracts.

Public Health Law section 4406 provides that the contract between an HMO and an enrollee is subject to regulation by the Superintendent as if it were a health insurance subscriber contract, and that it shall include, but not be limited to, all mandated benefits required by Article 43 of the Insurance Law.

2. Legislative objectives: In November 2011, Chapters 595 and 596 of the Laws of 2011 amended Insurance Law sections 3216, 3221 and 4303 to expand health insurance coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). The amendments also directed the Superintendent, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Education, to promulgate regulations that set forth the standards of professionalism, supervision and relevant experience of individuals who provide behavioral health treatment in the form of applied behavior analysis (“ABA”), under the supervision of a certified behavior analyst for insurance coverage pursuant to Insurance Law sections 3216(i)(25), 3221(l)(17), and 4303(ee). Chapters 595 and 596 took effect on November 1, 2012.

3. Needs and benefits: Prior to the enactment of Chapters 595 and 596, state law did not provide health insurers and HMOs sufficient clarity or an affirmative obligation to cover costs related to treatments for ASD. As a result, individuals diagnosed with an ASD who required treatment in addition to an individualized family services plan, individualized education program, or individualized service plan, had to pay out-of-pocket for expensive services. The law, as amended, ensures that insurance coverage is extended to individuals diagnosed with ASD for treatment such as ABA, thus alleviating the financial burdens placed on the parents and caregivers of those individuals. This rule is being promulgated pursuant to the new statutory amendments to establish the education, training and supervision requirements of ABA providers in order for them to be eligible for health insurance reimbursement under the statute, and also to ensure that only qualified ABA providers will be rendering services to individuals with ASD.

4. Costs: This rule imposes no compliance costs upon state or local governments. Some private ABA providers may incur additional costs to fulfill the educational and training requirements of the rule in order to become eligible for reimbursement from health insurance coverage for providing ABA. However, many individuals currently providing ABA are not expected to incur such costs and will be able to continue providing ABA as they always have. In addition, any such costs are likely to be offset by the additional revenue obtained from being newly eligible for health insurance reimbursement. Nonetheless, the Department of Financial Services (“Department”) is unable to estimate the specific cost of such compliance because the cost depends on the number of ABA providers who intend to provide treatment to individuals with ASD for reimbursement through health insurance, and ABA providers are not regulated by the Department.

Insurers and HMOs also may incur compliance costs from having to develop an ABA provider eligibility database, and will have to expand their networks if they do not include an adequate number of ABA providers. Those costs may be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, but the long-term benefits of having properly credentialed ABA providers to treat individuals with ASD greatly outweigh the costs. Furthermore, the costs for insurers and HMOs are a consequence of the legislation, not this regulation.

5. Local government mandates: This rule imposes no new mandates on any county, city, town, village, school district, fire district or other special district.

6. Paperwork: Insurers and HMOs submitted to the Department new health insurance policy forms and rates to add the new coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of ASD. The requirement to make such submissions was imposed by the statutory mandate, not this rule.

7. Duplication: There are no federal or other New York State requirements that duplicate, or conflict with this regulation.

8. Alternatives: The Department, in consultation with the Department of Health and the State Education Department, considered various ways to establish the necessary standards of this regulation, such as delegating credentialing responsibility to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. (the “Board”). However, doing so would violate scope of practice requirements under the Education Law when ABA is not provided pursuant to an individualized family service plan, individualized education plan or an individualized service plan. Moreover, State Education Department license and certification requirements protect consumers, including vulnerable ASD patients, from negligent or fraudulent ABA providers. The Department previously promulgated on an emergency basis a different version of this rule, which required an ABA provider both to be certified by the Board and to hold a certain type of license issued pursuant to Education Law Title VIII, or to be supervised by a person with both a license and Board certification. A number of stakeholders, however, expressed concern that the prior rule would permit very few providers to be eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA – perhaps less than 100 statewide. This new rule eliminates the dual license/Board certification requirement (other than for those who supervise ABA aides) and permits certain individuals licensed or certified by the State Education Department to qualify for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. Licensed providers now eligible for insurance reimbursement – whether or not they are certified by the Board – include social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, among others. As such, this new rule is expected to expand the pool of eligible providers from as few as 100 or less to tens of thousands while still ensuring that only properly credentialed ABA providers treat individuals with ASD. In addition, some certified providers may now be eligible for insurance coverage – whether or not they are certified by the Board – including school psychologists, social workers and special education teachers.

9. Federal standards: There are no federal minimum standards or regulations regarding professionalism, supervision and relevant experience for individuals who provide ABA under the supervision of a certified behavior analyst as defined under Insurance Law sections 3216(i)(25), 3221(l)(17) and 4303(ee).

10. Compliance schedule: Because the law took effect on November 1, 2012, this rule takes effect upon filing with the Secretary of State.

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

1. Effect of the rule: This rule will impact insurers and health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”) in New York State, but none fall within the definition of “small business” set forth in section 102(8) of the State Administrative Procedure Act. However, this rule may affect providers of applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) to treat autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”), some of which are small businesses, because some ABA providers may be required to obtain additional education, training and experience in order to become eligible for health insurance reimbursement for rendering ABA. However, many individuals currently providing ABA in the state will not need to do so and will be able to continue providing ABA as they always have. Moreover, any impact to current ABA providers who will need additional licensure or certification is more than offset by the tens of thousands of providers currently licensed or certified by the State Education Department who will now be able to immediately start providing ABA services covered by health insurance, regardless of whether they are credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. These providers include licensed social workers, psychologists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, as well as certain certified school professionals.

The Department of Financial Services (the “Department”) is unable to quantify the precise number of small businesses affected by this rule because ABA providers are not regulated by the Department, and the Department has established no reporting requirements with respect to these small businesses, nor does the Department maintain records of ABA providers in this state.

2. Compliance requirements: This rule will not impose any reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements on small businesses, sole proprietors or local governments. The rule only establishes standards of professionalism, training and experience required to be eligible for insurance reimbursement for providing ABA.

3. Professional services: This rule does not require the use of professional services.

4. Compliance costs: This rule will not impose any compliance costs on local governments but may impose additional costs on small businesses that provide ABA to those with ASD, because some may incur costs of education, training and experience for their employees to become eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. However, many small businesses will not incur such costs, and any such costs are likely to be more than offset by increased revenue as a result of health insurance reimbursement for these services. Nonetheless, the Department is unable to estimate the cost of such compliance because the cost depends, in part, on the number of ABA providers who intend to provide treatment to individuals with ASD for reimbursement through health insurance, and ABA providers are not regulated by the Department.

5. Economic and technological feasibility: Compliance with the rule should be economically and technologically feasible because it requires no action on the part of local governments and most small businesses. While some small businesses that provide ABA may incur some costs in education and/or training of their employees, many will not, and such costs are likely to be more than offset by increased revenue as a result of health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA services.

6. Minimizing adverse impact: Although some ABA providers that are small businesses may incur additional costs to fulfill the requirements of this rule, many will not, and those costs likely will be offset by the additional revenue that will be generated from health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA services.

7. Small business and local government participation: This rule does not impact local government. In addition, the Department previously promulgated on an emergency basis a different version of this rule, which required an ABA provider both to be certified by the Board and to hold a certain type of license issued pursuant to Education Law Title VIII, or to be supervised by a person with both a license and Board certification. A number of stakeholders, including some representing small businesses, contacted both the Department and the Executive Chamber to comment on that earlier version. Most expressed concern that the prior rule would permit very few providers to be eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA – perhaps less than 100 statewide.

In response to these concerns, the Department made significant changes to this new version of the rule. The new rule eliminates the dual license/Board certification requirement (other than for those who supervise ABA aides) and permits certain individuals licensed or certified by the State Education Department to qualify for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. As such, this new rule is expected to expand the pool of eligible providers from as few as 100 or less to tens of thousands while still ensuring that only properly credentialed ABA providers treat individuals with ASD. Providers who would now be eligible for insurance coverage – whether or not they are certified by the Board – include licensed social workers, psychologists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, as well as certain certified school professionals. Further, the Department intends to subsequently file a notice of proposed rulemaking and public and private interested parties will also thereby have a formal opportunity to comment on the rule once it is published in the State Register.

Rural Area Flexibility Analysis

1. Types and estimated numbers of rural areas: Applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) providers, health insurers, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) affected by this rule operate throughout this state, including rural areas as defined under State Administrative Procedure Act section 102(10).

2. Reporting, recordkeeping and other compliance requirements, and professional services: This rule will not impose any reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements on ABA providers located in rural areas. The rule only establishes standards of professionalism, training and experience required to be eligible for insurance reimbursement for providing ABA.

3. Costs: This rule may impose additional costs on some ABA providers located in rural areas, because some may need additional education, training and experience to become eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. However, because this new rule eliminates the dual license/Board certification requirement (other than for those who supervise ABA aides), many licensed and certified professionals will be able to provide ABA immediately in rural areas without incurring the cost of pursuing Board certification. These providers include licensed social workers, psychologists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, among others. In addition, any such costs are likely to be more than offset by increased revenue as a result of health insurance reimbursement for ABA providers’ services.

Insurers and HMOs submitted to the Department of Financial Services (the “Department”) new health insurance policy forms and rates to add the new coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of ASD. The requirement to make such submissions was imposed by the statutory mandate, not this rule. In addition, insurers and HMOs also may incur compliance costs from having to develop an ABA provider eligibility database, and may have to expand their networks if they do not include an adequate number of ABA providers. Those costs may be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, but the long-term benefits of having properly credentialed ABA providers to treat individuals with ASD greatly outweigh the costs. Moreover, these costs, too, result from the legislation, not this rule.

4. Minimizing adverse impact: Although some ABA providers in rural areas may incur additional costs to fulfill the requirements of this rule, the majority will not, and those costs likely will be offset from the additional revenue that will be generated from health insurance reimbursement for their services. Moreover, any impact to current ABA providers who will need additional licensure or certification is more than offset by the tens of thousands of currently licensed and certified providers, whether or not they are credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, who will now be able to immediately start providing ABA services covered by health insurance.

5. Rural area participation: The Department previously promulgated on an emergency basis a different version of this rule, which required an ABA provider both to be certified by the Board and to hold a certain type of license issued pursuant to Education Law Title VIII, or to be supervised by a person with both a license and Board certification. A number of stakeholders, including some representing rural areas, contacted both the Department and the Executive Chamber to comment on that earlier version. Most expressed concern that the prior rule would permit very few providers to be eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA – perhaps less than 100 statewide.

In response to these concerns, the Department made significant changes to this new version of the rule. The new rule eliminates the dual license/Board certification requirement (other than for those who supervise ABA aides) and permits certain individuals licensed or certified by the State Education Department to qualify for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. As such, this new rule is expected to expand the pool of eligible providers from as few as 100 or less to tens of thousands while still ensuring that only properly credentialed ABA providers treat individuals with ASD. Providers who would now be eligible for insurance coverage – whether or not they are certified by the Board – include licensed social workers, psychologists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, as well as certain certified school professionals.

Further, the Department intends to subsequently file a notice of proposed rulemaking, and public and private interested parties will also thereby have a formal opportunity to comment on the rule once it is published in the State Register.

Job Impact Statement

1. Nature of impact: In November 2011, Chapters 595 and 596 of the Laws of 2011 amended Insurance Law sections 3216, 3221 and 4303 to expand health insurance coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). The amendments also directed the Superintendent of Financial Services, in consultation with the Commissioners of Health and Education, to promulgate regulations that set forth the standards of professionalism, supervision and relevant experience of individuals who provide behavioral health treatment in the form of applied behavior analysis (“ABA”). Chapters 595 and 596 took effect on November 1, 2012.

This rule should have no adverse impact on jobs and employment opportunities because it merely implements the statutory charge to establish standards of professionalism, supervision and relevant experience of individuals who provide behavioral health treatment in the form of ABA. These standards are designed to ensure that individuals with autism spectrum disorders receive treatment for those disorders only from qualified ABA providers.

2. Categories and numbers affected: This rule may impact some providers of ABA because some ABA providers may be required to obtain additional education, training and experience in order to become eligible for health insurance reimbursement for providing ABA. However, any costs will likely be offset by the increased revenue resulting from health insurance reimbursement for ABA services. Moreover, any impact to current ABA providers who will need additional licensure or certification is more than offset by the tens of thousands of providers currently licensed or certified by the State Education Department who will now be able to immediately start providing ABA services covered by health insurance, regardless of whether they are credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. These professionals include licensed social workers, psychologists, physical therapists and speech pathologists, as well as certified school psychologists, social workers, and special education teachers.

The Department is unable to quantify the precise number of ABA providers affected by this rule because they are not regulated by the Department and the Department has established no reporting requirements with respect to these providers, nor does the Department maintain records of ABA providers in this state.

3. Regions of adverse impact: ABA providers operate in all regions of the state. Therefore, there are no regions of the state where the rule would have a disproportionate adverse impact on jobs or employment opportunities.

4. Minimizing adverse impact: Although some ABA providers may incur additional costs to fulfill the education, training and experience requirements of this rule, it is anticipated that many will not. In addition, any costs likely will be offset by the additional revenue that will be generated from health insurance reimbursement for ABA providers’ services. Moreover, any impact to current ABA providers who will need additional licensure or certification is more than offset by the tens of thousands of currently licensed and certified providers, whether or not they are credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, who will now be able to immediately start providing ABA services covered by health insurance.

5. Self-employment opportunities: This rule will have a positive impact on ABA providers who are self-employed because opportunities will be available to provide ABA services outside of an educational setting for reimbursement through health insurance, especially with the increasing number of individuals being diagnosed with ASD, and for whom ABA is critical.