---
title: "ComPsych and ABA: what it actually administers."
url: "https://carelu.com/payers/compsych"
markdown_url: "https://carelu.com/payers/compsych.md"
state: US (national)
payer: ComPsych
kind: Commercial insurance
description: ComPsych is usually an EAP and sometimes the behavioral health network behind an employer plan. How to tell which one is in play before you promise a start date, what ComPsych publishes (credentialing standards) and what it does not (ABA criteria, payer ID, provider manual).
last_reviewed: September 2026
---

# ComPsych and ABA: what it actually administers.

_Payer Guide · ComPsych · Last updated September 2026 · 6 primary sources_

> Usually EAP, sometimes the whole BH network — establish which before you promise a start date.

This is a deliberately short guide, because ComPsych publishes very little that an ABA intake team can rely on — and saying so plainly is more useful than padding the page. ComPsych is best known as the largest employee assistance program vendor in the country, operating under the GuidanceResources brand. But its own product taxonomy is “Behavioral Health Programs (Employee Assistance Programs [EAP] & Managed Care Solutions),” and that second half is where the risk lives: on some employer plans, ComPsych is not just the EAP, it is the behavioral health network the member has to use to get the in-network benefit.

For an ABA practice the whole value of knowing ComPsych is in the boundary. An EAP is a short-course counseling benefit with a session cap and no ABA in it; a ComPsych-administered behavioral health network means the family’s ABA hours have to come through a network your clinicians may not be in. Confusing the two costs a family weeks. Everything below is aimed at telling them apart fast.

## Prior authorization and diagnosis at a glance

- **Prior auth for the assessment** _(plan-dependent)_: Plan-by-plan — ComPsych publishes no ABA authorization policy. Confirm in writing with the ComPsych number on the card before the assessment, and get the authorization number.
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member's card, with the employer/plan sponsor name in hand — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set is applied for that client, and request the answer in writing with an authorization number. ComPsych administers somebody else's plan and publishes no ABA policy of its own, so the employer plan document is the governing text.
- **Prior auth for treatment** _(plan-dependent)_: Plan-by-plan — the employer plan document, not ComPsych, defines the ABA benefit. Assume authorization is required and obtain it in writing.
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member's card, with the employer/plan sponsor name in hand — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set is applied for that client, and request the answer in writing with an authorization number. ComPsych administers somebody else's plan and publishes no ABA policy of its own, so the employer plan document is the governing text.
- **Autism diagnosis required?** _(plan-dependent)_: Plan-by-plan — ComPsych publishes no ABA medical-necessity criteria. The employer plan document and whatever criteria set ComPsych applies for that client govern; ask which one, and ask for it in writing.
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member's card, with the employer/plan sponsor name in hand — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set is applied for that client, and request the answer in writing with an authorization number. ComPsych administers somebody else's plan and publishes no ABA policy of its own, so the employer plan document is the governing text.

## At a glance

- **What it usually is:** An EAP — a limited number of counseling sessions per issue per year, at no member cost
- **What it sometimes also is:** The behavioral health network for an employer plan: “provider must be in the ComPsych network to receive the network provider benefit”
- **Published ABA criteria:** None found — no public ABA medical-necessity policy, provider manual or authorization form
- **Published payer ID:** None found — get it from the plan or the number on the card
- **Credentialing floor:** Master’s degree in a behavioral health field, 3 years post-graduate experience, current state license at the highest level in that state, $1M/$3M malpractice
- **Joining the network:** Prospective Provider Interest Form at providers.compsych.com; status questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com
- **Provider resources:** Behind a login — the public Provider ResourceCenter shows credentialing standards and the interest form, little else

## How to tell this plan is administered by ComPsych — and in which role

The signal is a mismatch inside one plan document. Here is a real one: a 2024 employer Summary of Benefits and Coverage for an “Anthem BCBS EPO” plan lists ordinary medical benefits throughout — and then, in the mental health, behavioral health and substance use row, carries its own phone number, its own registration instructions (“login to www.guidanceresources.com, click Register and use the Org Web ID”) and the limitation “Provider must be in the ComPsych network to receive the network provider benefit.” The card says Anthem. The behavioral health network is ComPsych’s. That is the carve-out, in writing, in the plan’s own federally required summary. [6][5]

Distinguishing the EAP role from the network role is the second half of the job, and the EAP has a recognizable shape. ComPsych’s own EAP Summary of Benefits and Coverage describes a plan with a $0 deductible, no out-of-pocket expenses, no out-of-network coverage at all, and “a limited number of sessions per issue per year” for mental/behavioral health outpatient services — with inpatient care, specialists, physicians/psychiatrists and psychological testing all listed as services the plan does not cover. A benefit with those features is an EAP. It is not where ABA hours come from, and an EAP authorization number is not an ABA authorization. [6][5]

- **GuidanceResources branding:** guidanceresources.com, an “Org Web ID,” or the GuidanceResources name anywhere on the card or benefits portal means ComPsych is involved. It does not by itself tell you in which role. [6][5]
- **A separate behavioral health phone number on the card:** A dedicated mental health line that is not the medical member-services number is the carve-out tell, exactly as with any other administrator. [6][5]
- **The word “network” in the mental health row:** Language like “provider must be in the ComPsych network to receive the network provider benefit” means ComPsych is administering the ongoing behavioral health benefit, not just triage. [6][5]
- **A session cap per issue per year:** A stated session limit with no deductible and no out-of-network benefit is the EAP. Ask explicitly: “Is this the EAP, or the health plan’s behavioral health benefit?” [6][5]
- **What a 271 will and will not tell you:** An EAP is usually not a medical-plan service type and may not surface in an eligibility response at all. A ComPsych-administered behavioral health benefit may surface as mental health service types under a different plan identifier than the medical benefits. Either way, treat a thin or absent behavioral health segment as a prompt to call the number on the card, not as a coverage answer. [6][5]

## What ComPsych publishes — and what it does not

The honest inventory is short. ComPsych publishes network participation requirements, a prospective-provider interest form, and marketing descriptions of its programs. It does not publish an ABA medical-necessity policy, an ABA authorization form, a provider manual, a fee schedule or a payer ID on any page reachable without a login. Its public behavioral health page describes 24/7/365 access to clinical experts, in-person and telehealth counseling through its network, case management and care coordination — and does not mention autism or applied behavior analysis at all. [4][1][3]

The one published standard that directly affects an ABA staffing model is the credentialing bar, and it is worth reading carefully: a minimum of a master’s-level degree in a behavioral health related field, at least three years post-graduate experience, a current state license or certification at the highest level available in that state, current malpractice insurance of $1 million per occurrence / $3 million aggregate, and a doctorate for all psychologists. A behavior technician does not clear that bar, and a newly certified BCBA may not clear the three-year requirement. Whether ComPsych rosters technicians under a credentialed analyst the way Carelon and Magellan do is not published — ask before you assume your delivery model fits. [4][1][3]

The provider side of ComPsych is a login-gated Provider ResourceCenter. Network applications start with the Prospective Provider Interest Form, processed in the order received, with status questions directed to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. There is no public authorization or claims documentation behind the front door. [4][1][3]

## How to route a ComPsych-administered family

Because nothing is published, the routing has to come from the call. A workable script, in order: [5][6]

- **1. Ask which benefit you are being quoted:** “Is this the EAP, or the behavioral health benefit under the medical plan?” Get the answer named, because the EAP has a session cap and excludes the services ABA depends on. [5][6]
- **2. Ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis:** The answer is either ComPsych or the medical carrier. If it is the medical carrier, stop — build the file against that carrier’s published ABA policy and use the relevant guide in this directory. [5][6]
- **3. If it is ComPsych, ask which criteria set applies:** ComPsych does not publish ABA criteria, so ask for the criteria by name and request a copy in writing. A denial you cannot read the standard for is a denial you cannot appeal well. [5][6]
- **4. Get the network answer before the clinical answer:** A ComPsych-network requirement in the plan document means an out-of-network ABA agency may have no benefit at all on an EPO-style plan. Confirm network status, or a single-case agreement, before you schedule. [5][6]
- **5. Get the claims address and payer ID from the plan:** ComPsych does not publish one. Ask for the payer ID, the claims address and the timely-filing window on the same call, and write the authorization number down. [5][6]
- **6. Document the call:** With no published policy to cite, the call reference number and the name of the representative are the only record you will have at appeal. [5][6]

## How ComPsych works state by state

The clinical policy above is national, but three state-level layers change what a family's card actually buys: the state autism mandate (what fully-insured plans must cover), the carrier's state Medicaid plans (which follow the state Medicaid rules, not this commercial policy), and plan funding type (self-funded ERISA plans can carve benefits differently).

- **Georgia** (mandate: Ava’s Law (O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.10)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Georgia sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Georgia Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/georgia-medicaid).
- **North Carolina** (mandate: N.C.G.S. § 58-3-192 (autism coverage)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in North Carolina sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [North Carolina Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/north-carolina-medicaid).
- **Indiana** (mandate: Indiana autism insurance mandate (IC 27-8-14.2)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Indiana sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Indiana Medicaid (IHCP) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/indiana-medicaid).
- **Virginia** (mandate: Virginia autism insurance mandate (§ 38.2-3418.17)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Virginia sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Virginia Medicaid (DMAS) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/virginia-medicaid).
- **Tennessee** (mandate: Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-7-2367 (neurological parity)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Tennessee sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [TennCare (Tennessee Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/tenncare-tennessee-medicaid).
- **Ohio** (mandate: Ohio autism insurance mandate (R.C. 3923.84)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Ohio sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Ohio Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/ohio-medicaid).
- **New Jersey** (mandate: P.L. 2009, c.115 (N.J.S.A. 17:48-6ii et al.)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in New Jersey sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [NJ FamilyCare (New Jersey Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/new-jersey-medicaid).
- **Maryland** (mandate: Habilitative services mandate (Md. Ins. § 15-835 + COMAR 31.10.39.03)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Maryland sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Maryland Medicaid (Medical Assistance) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/maryland-medicaid).
- **Colorado** (mandate: Colorado autism insurance mandate (C.R.S. § 10-16-104(1.4))): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Colorado sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/colorado-medicaid).
- **Utah** (mandate: Utah autism insurance mandate (Utah Code § 31A-22-642; caps removed 2020)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Utah sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Utah Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/utah-medicaid).
- **Arizona** (mandate: Steven’s Law (A.R.S. § 20-826.04; dollar caps repealed by SB 1590, 2025)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Arizona sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/arizona-ahcccs).
- **New York** (mandate: NY autism mandate (Ins. Law §§ 3216(i)(25), 3221(l)(17), 4303(ee))): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in New York sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [New York Medicaid (NYS DOH / eMedNY) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/new-york-medicaid).
- **New Mexico** (mandate: New Mexico autism insurance mandate (NMSA 1978 § 59A-22-49)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in New Mexico sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [New Mexico Medicaid (Turquoise Care) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/new-mexico-medicaid).
- **Missouri** (mandate: Missouri autism insurance mandate (RSMo § 376.1224)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Missouri sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/missouri-medicaid).
- **Texas** (mandate: Texas autism mandate (Tex. Ins. Code § 1355.015)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Texas sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Texas Medicaid (THSteps-CCP) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/texas-medicaid).
- **Massachusetts** (mandate: ARICA — Ch. 207, Acts of 2010 (M.G.L. c. 175 § 47AA et al.)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Massachusetts sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/masshealth-massachusetts-medicaid).
- **Florida** (mandate: Steven A. Geller Autism Coverage Act (§ 627.6686, Fla. Stat.)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Florida sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Florida Medicaid — Behavior Analysis Services (AHCA) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/florida-medicaid).
- **Kansas** (mandate: Kansas autism insurance mandate (K.S.A. 40-2,194)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Kansas sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [KanCare (Kansas Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/kansas-medicaid).
- **Nebraska** (mandate: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44-7,106 (autism coverage, 25 hr/wk cap)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Nebraska sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Nebraska Medicaid (Heritage Health) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/nebraska-medicaid).
- **Idaho** (mandate: No autism statute — DOI Bulletin 18-02 (habilitative-parity floor, plan years from 2019)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Idaho sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Idaho Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/idaho-medicaid).
- **Iowa** (mandate: Iowa autism mandates (Iowa Code §§ 514C.31, 514C.28; caps and age limits removed by H.F. 330 from 1/1/2026)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Iowa sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Iowa Medicaid (IA Health Link) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/iowa-medicaid).
- **Oklahoma** (mandate: Nick’s Law (36 O.S. § 6060.21; age and hour caps removed 2022)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Oklahoma sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Oklahoma Medicaid (SoonerCare / SoonerSelect) - Oklahoma Health Care Authority guide](https://carelu.com/payers/oklahoma-medicaid).
- **Michigan** (mandate: Michigan autism mandate (MCL 500.3406s, 550.1416e; through age 18, $50K/$40K/$30K caps allowed)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Michigan sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Michigan Medicaid guide](https://carelu.com/payers/michigan-medicaid).
- **Hawaii** (mandate: Luke’s Law (HRS § 431:10A-133; under 14, $25,000/yr ABA cap)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Hawaii sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Hawaii Medicaid (Med-QUEST / QUEST Integration) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/hawaii-medicaid).
- **California** (mandate: SB 946 autism mandate (H&S § 1374.73, Ins. Code § 10144.51; no age or dollar caps)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in California sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/medi-cal-california-medicaid).
- **Pennsylvania** (mandate: Act 62 of 2008 (40 P.S. § 764h; under 21, CPI-adjusted cap $51,908 for 2026)): fully-insured ComPsych plans issued in Pennsylvania sit under the state mandate. State Medicaid baseline: [Pennsylvania Medicaid (Medical Assistance) guide](https://carelu.com/payers/pennsylvania-medicaid).

## Intake gates

The questions that decide whether a family can start with ComPsych, and what they have to bring.

- **Prior-auth decision time** _(plan-dependent)_: Not published by ComPsych — it posts no provider manual, utilization-management timeframes or ABA authorization policy outside its login — so the clock comes from the employer's plan and the law behind it. For an employer group health plan governed by ERISA the federal claims rule is the floor: a pre-service request must be decided "not later than 15 days after receipt of the claim by the plan" (one 15-day extension if more information is needed), an urgent one within 72 hours, and an urgent request to extend an approved course of treatment within 24 hours if it is made at least 24 hours before the approval runs out. A fully insured plan is also bound by its state's utilization-review law. No reauthorization lead time is published. [7][3]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card, with the employer/plan sponsor name in hand — ask whether the plan is self-funded or fully insured, the decision timeframe for a non-urgent ABA request, and how far ahead of the authorization end date a continued-treatment request must be submitted; record the call reference and representative's name.
- **Age limit** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych administers benefits for employer plan sponsors and publishes no ABA medical-necessity policy, so any age bound comes from the employer’s plan document rather than from ComPsych. The first thing to settle is not the age but the benefit: an EAP is a short-course counseling allowance with a session cap per issue per year, no deductible and no out-of-network coverage, and it is not where ABA hours come from. [5][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Diagnosis recency** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych publishes no ABA medical-necessity criteria, so there is no stated rule on how recent the ASD diagnostic evaluation must be. Whatever criteria set ComPsych applies for that client governs — ask for it by name and ask for a copy in writing, because a denial you cannot read the standard for is a denial you cannot appeal well. [3][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Who may diagnose** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. No ComPsych document reachable without a login names who may make the ASD diagnosis. Its only published credential standard is for network participation — master’s minimum, three years post-graduate, current state license at the highest level in that state, $1M/$3M malpractice, and a doctorate for all psychologists — which governs who may join the network, not who may diagnose. [4]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Diagnostic tools required** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych names no required or accepted diagnostic instrument for autism anywhere in its public material. [3]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Referral required?** _(ask the plan)_: Not published, and this is the field to nail down first. ComPsych publishes no ABA authorization policy or form, so assume authorization is required and obtain it in writing before the assessment, along with the authorization number. The prior question is which entity authorizes at all: on some employer plans ComPsych is only the EAP and the medical carrier authorizes ABA, and on others the plan document requires the provider to be in the ComPsych network to receive the in-network behavioral health benefit. Ask “is this the EAP, or the behavioral health benefit under the medical plan?” and “who authorizes applied behavior analysis?” before anything else — and get the network answer before the clinical one, because an EPO-style plan may leave an out-of-network agency with no benefit. [6][5][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Telehealth** _(ask the plan)_: Not published for ABA. ComPsych’s public behavioral health page advertises in-person and telehealth counseling through its network but says nothing about applied behavior analysis or which ABA codes may be delivered remotely. [1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Other insurance (who pays first)** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych posts no coordination-of-benefits procedure, claims manual or payer ID outside its login, so which plan pays first and what a secondary claim must carry come from the employer's plan document. One boundary is published: a ComPsych EAP is a separate, session-capped benefit ("a limited number of sessions per issue per year") with no out-of-network coverage — it is not a second layer of ABA coverage to coordinate. [3][5]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask whether ComPsych or the other plan is primary for ABA when the child has a second plan (the other parent's plan, Medicaid, TRICARE), whether a secondary claim needs the primary EOB, and whether authorization is still required when ComPsych is secondary; record the call reference.

## Delivery and billing rules

Coverage decides whether ComPsych pays. These decide whether the claim survives: staffing and supervision, concurrent billing, per-day ceilings, who signs the note, where the service is payable, and whose NPI the claim goes out under.

- **Supervision** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych publishes network participation requirements but no ABA supervision standard, provider tier or ratio. Its credentialing floor is a minimum master’s-level degree in a behavioral health related field, at least three years post-graduate experience, and a current state license or certification at the highest level available in that state — which a behavior technician does not meet, and which a newly certified BCBA may not meet either. Whether ComPsych rosters technicians under a credentialed analyst the way Carelon and Magellan do is not published. [4][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Concurrent billing (97153 + 97155)** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych publishes no ABA authorization form, provider manual, fee schedule or claims documentation on any page reachable without a login, so there is no stated rule on billing two ABA codes for the same clock time. [3][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Daily limits / MUEs** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych publishes no ABA fee schedule, unit ceiling or hour band. The only quantitative limit it does publish belongs to the EAP, not to ABA: “a limited number of sessions per issue per year” with a $0 deductible and no out-of-network coverage. An EAP session allowance is not an ABA authorization, and families frequently relay one as the other. [5][1]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Session-note signature** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. There is no ComPsych provider manual, documentation standard or session-note specification reachable without a login. [3]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Place of service** _(ask the plan)_: Not published. ComPsych’s public behavioral health page describes 24/7/365 access to clinical experts, in-person and telehealth counseling through its network, case management and care coordination — and does not mention autism or applied behavior analysis at all, let alone payable settings. The setting question that does bite is network rather than place: an employer plan document saying “provider must be in the ComPsych network to receive the network provider benefit” can leave an out-of-network ABA agency with no benefit at all on an EPO-style plan. [1][6]
  - Ask the plan: The ComPsych behavioral health number on the back of the member’s card — ask who authorizes applied behavior analysis, which criteria set applies, and request it in writing; network questions to providerrecruitment@compsych.com. Record the call reference and the representative’s name, because with nothing published that call is the only record you will have at appeal.
- **Bill as provider** _(ask the plan)_: ComPsych’s published network participation requirements set a floor of a master’s-level degree in a behavioral health related field, three years post-graduate experience and a current state license at the highest level in that state — which a behavior technician does not meet. ComPsych does not publish whether technicians may be rostered under a credentialed analyst, or whose NPI an ABA claim must carry. [4]
  - Ask the plan: ComPsych provider recruitment (providerrecruitment@compsych.com) or the ComPsych behavioral health number printed on the member’s card — ask specifically whether technician-delivered 97153 is payable and under whose NPI.

## What intake should collect for ComPsych

- **Both sides of the card, plus the employer name:** The employer is the plan sponsor and the only reliable key to which ComPsych arrangement applies. GuidanceResources branding or an “Org Web ID” is a ComPsych signal.
- **The plan document or SBC, not just the card:** The mental health row of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage is where a ComPsych network requirement is stated in writing. Ask the family for their benefits packet.
- **Which benefit was quoted — EAP or health plan:** Record it explicitly. An EAP session allowance is not an ABA benefit, and families frequently relay one as the other.
- **The authorization number, criteria name and claims details:** With no published policy, the call is the record: authorization number, criteria set applied, payer ID, claims address, timely-filing window, representative name and reference number.
- **Your clinicians’ credentials against the published floor:** Master’s minimum, three years post-graduate, current state license at the highest level, $1M/$3M malpractice — know before the call whether your supervising analysts clear it.

Free verification-call checklist (PDF): https://carelu.com/downloads/aba-verification-call-checklist.pdf

## Common questions

### Does ComPsych cover ABA therapy?

ComPsych does not publish an ABA policy, so there is no honest general answer. ComPsych administers benefits for employer plan sponsors; whether ABA is covered, and whether ComPsych or the medical carrier authorizes it, is set by the employer’s plan. Ask on the benefits call whether you are being quoted the EAP or the health plan’s behavioral health benefit, and who authorizes applied behavior analysis.

### Is ComPsych an EAP or a behavioral health administrator?

Both, depending on the client. Its own product taxonomy is “Behavioral Health Programs (Employee Assistance Programs [EAP] & Managed Care Solutions).” Some employer plan documents go further and require the provider to be in the ComPsych network to get the in-network behavioral health benefit — that is the administrator role, not the EAP role.

### Can EAP sessions be used for ABA?

No. ComPsych’s own EAP Summary of Benefits and Coverage describes a limited number of sessions per issue per year with no out-of-network coverage, and lists inpatient care, specialists, physicians/psychiatrists and psychological testing among the services the EAP does not cover. Treat an EAP allowance as short-course counseling, not as an ABA authorization.

### What are ComPsych’s provider credentialing requirements?

Its published network participation requirements are a minimum master’s-level degree in a behavioral health related field, at least three years post-graduate experience, a current state license or certification at the highest level in that state, malpractice insurance of $1 million per occurrence / $3 million aggregate, and a doctorate for all psychologists (DEA registration for MDs). Whether behavior technicians can be rostered under a credentialed analyst is not published.

### What is ComPsych’s payer ID for behavioral health claims?

ComPsych does not publish one. Because it administers benefits for many different plan sponsors, get the payer ID, claims address and timely-filing window from the plan or from the ComPsych number on the back of the card, and record them with the authorization number.

## Primary sources

1. [ComPsych — Behavioral Health Programs](https://www.compsych.com/services/behavioral-health-programs.html)
2. [ComPsych — Mental Health and Well-Being Programs](https://www.compsych.com/services/mental-health-and-well-being-programs/)
3. [ComPsych Provider ResourceCenter](https://providers.compsych.com/providers)
4. [ComPsych Provider ResourceCenter — Credentialing](https://providers.compsych.com/providers/content/credentialing.xhtml)
5. [ComPsych Employee Assistance Program — Summary of Benefits and Coverage](https://www.guidanceresources.com/groWeb/resources/documents/SummaryOfBenefits.pdf)
6. [Sample employer SBC — Anthem BCBS EPO with ComPsych behavioral health network (2024 plan year)](https://cache.hacontent.com/ybr/R516/09429_ybr_ybrfndt/downloads/2024AnthemBCBSEPOPlan.pdf)
7. [29 CFR 2560.503-1(f)(2) — ERISA group health plan claims procedure (eCFR)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-2560.503-1)

Payer policies change frequently and vary by plan, state, and funding type. This guide was compiled from the sources above and last reviewed September 2026; it is general information, not billing, legal, or clinical advice. Always verify current requirements against the payer's live policy and a benefits check for the specific member.

Source: Carelu ABA Payer Directory — https://carelu.com/payers. Free to cite with attribution.