Aetna Better Health of Virginia ABA coverage (Cardinal Care MCO).

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: under 21 — Appendix D's ABA admission criteria state it as the first requirement, and the benefit rides EPSDT, so there is no hard hour cap beneath it.^[3][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: no recency window on the diagnosis. Appendix D admits on a current primary ICD diagnosis correlating to a DSM diagnosis, or on a provisional psychiatric diagnosis developed by an LMHP where no definitive diagnosis has been made — and DMAS states there is no timeframe for the use of a provisional psychiatric diagnosis, expecting the LBA to follow up with the youth's physician or other LMHPs as more information is gathered. What must stay current is the assessment: it is reviewed and updated at least annually by the LBA, LABA or LMHP, and continued-stay criteria test symptoms within the past 30 days.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: two different questions, and Appendix D answers both. The diagnosis: the youth must currently meet criteria for a primary ICD diagnosis that correlates to a DSM diagnosis, or have a provisional psychiatric diagnosis as developed by an LMHP — Appendix D does not restrict the benefit to autism or name a specialty list of diagnosing clinicians. The ABA assessment: it must be completed by an LBA, LABA or LMHP acting within scope (an LMHP-R, LMHP-RP or LMHP-S with completed education and training in ABA may complete it under the supervising LMHP), conducted in person with the youth and the family or caregivers, and an assessment completed by an LABA may be used only for ABA, not as a Comprehensive Needs Assessment for other services.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: the initial assessment must include a functional assessment using validated tools, completed by the LBA, LABA or LMHP within scope, and documentation must describe any assessment tools used. DMAS publishes no approved list — the QHP may use clinical judgement to choose the best assessments for the youth — so what is audited is that a validated instrument was used and named, not which one.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: no physician order. DMAS retired the requirement for an order or letter recommending services signed by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant — what replaced it is a notification duty: the QHP must notify the youth's primary care physician that the child is receiving ABA, providers must communicate the results of the assessment and treatment planning to the PCP, and care coordination with the PCP must be documented in the youth's record.^[4][3][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: initial assessments must be conducted in person with the youth and the family or caregivers. Beyond that, coverage of services delivered by telemedicine is governed by the Telehealth Services Supplement to the Mental Health Services manual, and the use of telemedicine must be documented in the ISP submitted with both the initial and the continued-stay authorization. Care coordination, data analysis and treatment-plan activities billed under 97151 or 97155 do not have to be provided face to face. MCO-contracted providers must consult their contracted MCO for that plan's telehealth policies. Aetna Better Health adds that telehealth follows state policy with the GT modifier.^[3][4][1]

Virginia Medicaid rule, applied by Aetna Better Health of Virginia: since January 1, 2026 DMAS requires FFS and every Cardinal Care MCO to decide standard (non-urgent) requests within 7 calendar days of receipt and expedited requests within 72 hours; the 7-day clock can extend up to 14 calendar days if the member or provider asks, or if the extra time is justified in the member's interest to obtain more medical evidence. Aetna's own manual (contract year July 2025–June 2026) still prints the older table — non-urgent preservice "no more than 14 calendar days from receipt of the request," urgent preservice 72 hours/3 calendar days — but that table applies "Unless otherwise required by DMAS," and DMAS has required 7 days since 1/1/2026. Timing from Appendix D: submit treatment requests (initial and continued stay) by the requested start date — "If submitted after the required time-frame, the begin date of authorization will be based on the date of receipt," so a late reauthorization leaves an unpaid gap.^[6][7][3][8]

Medicaid pays last. Aetna's manual: "By law, Medicaid is the payor of last resort… Aetna Better Health shall be used as a source of payment for covered services only after all other sources of payment have been exhausted." Bill the commercial plan first; the Aetna claim must arrive within 365 days of the primary carrier's remittance-advice date, with a copy of the primary RA and disposition detail attached. On authorization the manual says two things — "If other insurance is the primary payer before Aetna Better Health, prior authorization of a service is required," and, in the COB section, "If the claim is processed as secondary by Aetna Better Health, then that payer's authorization rules are applied." The safe reading for ABA: get Aetna's service authorization as well as the commercial plan's. DMAS's ABA FAQ is explicit that claims go to the commercial plan before the MCO for secondary consideration. TRICARE and CHAMPVA both pay ahead of Medicaid: TRICARE rules state "Medicaid is not a double coverage plan. In any double coverage situation involving Medicaid, CHAMPUS is always the primary payer," and CHAMPVA "assumes primary payer status" over Medicaid.^{[6][4][9][10]}

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: three separate floors. The LBA, LABA or LMHP must at a minimum observe the youth and supervise services monthly, with supervision documented as a review of progress notes and data plus dialogue with supervised staff about progress and the effectiveness of the ISP. Supervision of unlicensed staff must occur at least twice a month by the LBA, LABA or Licensed Clinical Psychologist, demonstrated by the contemporaneously dated signature of the licensed supervisor. Clinical supervision is required for services rendered by an LABA, LMHP-R, LMHP-RP or LMHP-S, consistent with the scope of practice set by the applicable Virginia Department of Health Professions board — on the nature of supervision DMAS defers to that board and to the BACB. Supervision time without the individual present is not billable; the technician rates were built to include it.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: Appendix D publishes the combinations that may be billed at the same time: 97152 with 97151 (except 97152 HN together with 97151 HN); 97153 with 97155 (except 97153 HN together with 97155 HN) — DMAS adds that 97155 and 97153 may be billed together for supervision activities when the QHP is directing the technician in delivering treatment and the QHP, technician and youth are all present; 97154 and 97158 at the same time for different youth in the same group, with identical professional-level modifiers; 97153 at the same time for two technicians when the reason is documented in a service-authorized ISP; and services with the youth alongside family or group family training when delivered by different qualified staff. What is barred: an additional technician-level code alongside 97158 or 97154. Separately, ABA may not be authorized concurrently with Intensive In-Home, Mental Health Skill Building, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Partial Hospitalization or Assertive Community Treatment, though short-term authorization overlaps are allowed during transitions.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: no per-day unit ceiling. Assessment codes 97151, 97152 and 0362T carry no service authorization and no unit limit, but may only be billed as part of an initial assessment or a full reassessment. Since dates of service 10/15/2025 every treatment code is authorized with its own predetermined number of units rather than bundled under 97155. Requests at or above 20 hours (80 units) a week must include an individualized schedule of activities that distinguishes therapeutic from recreational time — a general schedule of clinic-based activities is not sufficient. Group sizes follow CPT guidelines. In Residential Treatment Services settings, including therapeutic group homes and PRTFs, the payable ABA set narrows to 97151, 97154 (with modifier HN, HO or TF only), 97155, 97156 and 97157.^[3][5][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: documentation must carry the initial assessment completed by the LBA, LABA or LMHP including the assessment instruments used, dates of service and face-to-face contacts, staff and participant names, and staff credentials and signatures. Treatment progress must be documented through daily data collection plus a weekly summary note, with graphical analysis of goals and objectives for those dates of service. Supervision is demonstrated by the contemporaneously dated signature of the licensed supervisor. The ISP must be reviewed at least every 30 calendar days — a progress note satisfies the review if it documents the discussion, any alterations, and the individual's response; the individual's signature is not required, and the 30-day review is held for audit rather than submitted. On Aetna Better Health's own SA forms, signature-font e-signatures are rejected and a blank discharge-date field counts as an incomplete submission; after a medical-necessity denial, the peer-to-peer reconsideration window is 7 calendar days.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: ABA may be provided in home or community settings where the targeted behaviors are likely to occur, and in clinic settings — the setting must be justified in the ISP. School is the constrained one: ABA may only be provided in the school setting when the purpose is observation and collaboration by the QHP related to behavior and skill acquisition, not direct therapy, and only when authorized by the school, the parent and the provider and included in the ISP. Technician-level codes may not be billed for school observation and collaboration, and DMAS interprets school as any education setting, private or public; additional school ABA may be available under school health services through the local education agency. Services rendered primarily by a relative or guardian who is legally responsible for the youth's care are not covered.^[3][4][1]

Follows the Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) rule: ABA providers must be enrolled with DMAS under the ABA provider types (PCT 156 or 456 with PS 903; PCT 020 or 023; PCT 256 with PS 104), licensed by the applicable Virginia Department of Health Professions board, and credentialed with the youth's Medicaid MCO for managed-care members. Every CPT code is billed with the staff modifier that identifies the professional providing the service: HN for an LABA, HO for an LBA, TF for an LMHP. QHP-level codes must be provided by an LBA or LMHP, with an LABA able to act as a QHP as determined by the supervising LBA under 18VAC85-150-120, and LMHP-Rs, LMHP-RPs and LMHP-Ss with completed ABA education and training able to provide them under the supervising LMHP. Technician-level codes may be delivered by an LMHP-R/RP/S under supervision, an LABA under an LBA, personnel supervised by an LBA or LABA under 18VAC85-150-10 et seq., personnel supervised by a Licensed Clinical Psychologist under § 54.1-3614, or by an LBA or LMHP acting as the technician — LBAs may bill technician-level codes with the appropriate modifier. Unlicensed personnel include but are not limited to RBTs; Virginia does not require the RBT credential. Aetna Better Health layers one plan rule on top that drives practice design: the authorization lives on the rendering LBA/LMHP's NPI and must match the claim's rendering NPI, with no exceptions — changing the rendering provider closes the existing authorization and requires a new one, so a supervisor transfer is an authorization event, not just a staffing one.^[3][1]