Kelly Seeks

Kool and the Gang had it right! It’s a celebration and a great morning in the Autism advocacy community. I had been working on a article with graphs and charts going over the new policy changed in comparison to the old ABA policy Tricare used. But your hearing it first folks. NO CHANGES FOR ACTIVE DUTY! However, they will be enacting strict rules and guidelines for non-active duty.

I just read about it here.

“According to Tricare’s website, the insurance group is will not change coverage reqrequirements for therapy active duty members who have children with autism. However, there will be strict requirements for non-active duty members whose children need the services.”

While reading over Tricares policy pages (which was last updated 17 July 2013), it states

“Covered ABA by Board Certified Behavior Analysts under the basic TRICARE benefit includes:

Functional Behavioral Assessment and Analysis/Initial Behavioral Plan
ABA services to the beneficiary
Updated ABA Treatment Plan
ABA interventions to family member/caregivers”

Gone is the paragraph after paragraph of explanations for each new policy. We are now back to the simple -this is why is covered, this is what it costs, and this is who can tutor.

Furthermore, if you look at the PDF that is attached you will see it is the one old written back in 2008 and last updated in February of this year.

Excuse me for my hastily writing. My fingers were eager to get this down and out of my mind and my kids are just as eager for breakfast. Hopefully more will come out about the changes made. But until then sit back and rejoice in the facts that our children are going to be OK.

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** UPDATE– Tricare has contacted providers stating “there will be no changes at all for active duty. Increased services for retired and new assessments only for retired.”

However in addition to their statement they sent providers they have released this new document regarding the changes.

So it looks like there is still some more to come from the Tricare ABA debacle. But at least now they are trying to spell things out instead of mascarading them behind literature we can’t understand.

For example- two year cap on ABA services.

Tricare from the start said there would be waivers after the two year period you can apply for. And now they really stress the wavier procedure. Really I think this is just giving Tricare time to establish a better and more conclusive policy eliminating any grey areas. Because if you think; Tricare just have themselves their own extension to policy.

Those living overseas will lose ABA

True.

This is why it is imperative that you enroll the dependent with Autism in EFMP. EFMP is here to make sure when you are assigned to a new duty station, the duty station has all the medical and behavioral services the dependent will need. For instance, I know personally of families who were sent to Alaska and had a child diagnosis with Autism. Because the child’s needs could not be meet due to the diagnosis, they were moved to a duty station that was equipped. You are doing disservices to the diagnosed individual if you do not enroll them.

Overall I really think we will be fine. Reading everyone else so upset and irate over this topic has made me just the opposite. So take deep breaths and breathe.