BCBAs, ABA practices and autism service agencies
ABA Credentialing Services for BCBAs and Agencies
Medtransic handles BCBA credentialing for ABA practices and agencies: the agency's payer contracts and every BCBA who needs to be in network. Before we file, we check state licensure and the supervision rules each payer publishes. Every application and its stage is tracked in your client portal. Credentialing is $150 per application, per provider. In our experience it usually takes 60 to 90 days with each payer. There is no long-term contract.
Your ABA credentialing, in the portal
IllustrativeAgency contract
Commercial payer · Docs
BCBA
Same payer · Docs
BCBA, new hire
Same payer · Docs
BCBA-D
Medicaid plan · Docs
- Price
- $150
- per application, per provider
- Typical time
- 60-90 days
- with each payer, in our experience
- Tracking
- Live
- every application and its stage in your portal
- Contract
- None
- no long-term contract
What stalls ABA credentialing
The same few gaps cause most delays. Each is easier to fix before you file.
- Filing on BACB certification alone
- Certification is not a license. BACB lists 40 states plus DC that license behavior analysts, Colorado newest (2026). Aetna requires state requirements to be met.
- A new BCBA starts uncredentialed
- At Evernorth the clinic contract comes first. Every BCBA hired after it still needs their own application.
- An RBT with no supervisor on record
- BACB moves that RBT to inactive, and an inactive RBT cannot bill. When a BCBA leaves, their RBTs need a new supervisor on record.
- Supervision that is not written down
- Evernorth wants the supervisor's name and credentials documented. BACB asks supervisors to keep records for up to 7 years.
- Medicaid is checking credentials
- In a February 2026 Colorado audit, HHS OIG found 18 of 100 sampled enrollee-months involved providers who did not meet credential requirements.
- States are getting new guidance
- CMS published an ABA toolkit for states in August 2026 that covers provider enrollment and credentialing.
Our side of the file, and yours
Medtransic runs
- A licensure check for each BCBA in each state where you see clients
- NPI checks for the agency and each BCBA, under the right provider type
- Agency contracts and individual BCBA applications with each payer
- Follow-up with every payer until approval, with the effective date recorded
- New applications when you hire a BCBA, and re-credentialing on schedule
- If we also bill for you: claims inside CentralReach or the system you use (see our ABA billing page)
Your practice keeps
- Clinical care, treatment plans and assessments
- RBT supervision and the supervision records BACB asks you to keep
- BACB certification and renewals for your staff
- Hiring, and the supervision ratios on your schedule
Who can supervise whom
Payers read your roster through BACB's four levels. RBTs need supervision for at least 5% of their service hours each month, and supervisors finish an 8-hour training first.
- 01
BCBA
- Level
- Graduate
- Works
- Independently
- Can supervise
- RBTs and BCaBAs
- 02
BCBA-D
- Level
- A designation on a BCBA, not a separate credential
- Works
- Same as a BCBA
- Can supervise
- Same as a BCBA, no extra privileges
- 03
BCaBA
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Works
- Under a BCBA or a qualifying licensed psychologist
- Can supervise
- RBTs
- 04
RBT
- Level
- Paraprofessional
- Works
- Under close supervision
- Can supervise
- No one
How we get you in network
Two layers, in order: the agency, then each BCBA.
- 1
Licensure confirmed
We check every state where you see clients, and ask the board where a new law has no application yet.
- 2
NPIs matched
NPPES has separate types for behavior analysts, assistants and technicians. We match each record to the right one.
- 3
Agency contract, then each BCBA
The agency contract goes in first, then each BCBA's application, payer by payer.
- 4
RBTs asked about, not guessed
Whether RBTs enroll on their own varies, so we ask each payer before filing.
- 5
Tracked to approval
Each application's stage, and any document we need from you, shows in your client portal.
Supervision rules payers publish
Payers can ask for more than BACB's minimum. These are the published rules we file against.
| Payer | Supervision rule | Who may supervise |
|---|---|---|
| Evernorth (Cigna) | 1 to 2 hours per 10 hours of direct treatment, and at least 1 to 2 hours a week when treatment is 10 hours a week or less. Direct supervision means face to face with the client and the RBT at once. | A BCBA, a licensed behavior analyst, or an independently licensed clinician with documented ABA training |
| Aetna | 1 hour face to face for every 10 hours of ABA, plus at least 1 onsite hour with the child each month. | A state-licensed behavior analyst or a BCBA |
| Medicaid | Set by each state. Under EPSDT, states must cover medically necessary services for children under 21, and CMS says that includes autism services. | Varies by state |
| Medicare | Behavior analysts are not on CMS's list of professionals who can bill Medicare for mental health services. | We check each payer's own rules before filing |
Your client portal, included
Your EHR shows what you billed. Your portal shows what we are doing about it.
Your EHR or practice management system runs your practice, but it does not show you our work. The Medtransic HIPAA Compliant Portal does: every claim and its current stage, the denials we are working, your A/R by age, each payer application and its in-network date, and the documents we still need from you. It is the same record our team works from, and it comes with every client account.
- Did that claim get paid?
- Every claim with its stage and amount, the denials we're working, and your receivables by age.
- Where is my application with Aetna?
- Each payer application shows its stage, its history, and the date you can start seeing that payer's patients.
- What do you still need from me?
- One list of the documents we're waiting on. Upload once, and it reaches every payer that asked for it.
When we are not the right fit
- We credential with payers. We do not provide clinical supervision, BACB certification support or exam preparation, and we do not set your supervision ratios.
- If your services are paid entirely by families or school districts and you do not want insurance contracts, you do not need payer credentialing.
Questions ABA owners ask about BCBA credentialing
What is the difference between a BCBA, a BCaBA and an RBT?
A BCBA holds a graduate-level certification, practices independently and supervises others. A BCaBA holds an undergraduate-level certification and works only under a BCBA. An RBT is a paraprofessional who works under close supervision.
How much supervision do RBTs need?
BACB requires at least 5% of an RBT's service hours each month. Payers can ask for more. Evernorth's policy uses 1 to 2 hours per 10 hours of direct treatment, and Aetna requires 1 hour per 10 hours plus 1 onsite hour a month.
Do I need a state license as well as BACB certification?
In most states, yes. BACB's table lists 40 states plus DC with behavior analyst licensure laws. Aetna also requires its BCBAs, BCaBAs and paraprofessionals to meet state requirements.
Is a BCBA-D credentialed differently?
No. BACB says the BCBA-D is a designation, not a separate certification, and it grants no privileges beyond the BCBA. Payers credential a BCBA-D the same way.
Does Medicaid cover ABA for children?
Under EPSDT, states must cover medically necessary Medicaid-coverable services for children under 21, and CMS has said this applies to autism services. How ABA is covered, and who can enroll, varies by state.
Does Medicare cover ABA therapy?
Behavior analysts are not on CMS's list of professionals who can bill Medicare for mental health services. That list covers mental health services; we check each payer's own rules before filing.
How much does BCBA credentialing cost, and how long does it take?
Medtransic charges $150 per application, per provider, with no long-term contract. In our experience it usually takes 60 to 90 days with each payer.
Keep reading
- ABA therapy billing →
- Credentialing for therapists and behavioral health →
- Prior authorization →
- How to get credentialed with insurance companies →
- Counselor credentialing (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) →
- Psychologist credentialing →
- Child and adolescent mental health billing →
- Client portal →
- Pricing →
+ − Sources: 14 checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, Supervision Checklist for RBT Supervisors and RBT Requirements Coordinators (version 6/2026), checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight, checked 2026-10-04
- BACB, U.S. Licensure of Behavior Analysts, checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, NPPES NPI Registry, checked 2026-10-04
- Evernorth, Intensive Behavioral Interventions coverage policy (effective May 15, 2026), checked 2026-10-04
- Cigna/Evernorth, Autism resource guide, checked 2026-10-04
- Aetna, Provider and facility participation criteria (ABA services provider criteria, 5/26), checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, Clarification of Medicaid Coverage of Services to Children with Autism (July 7, 2014), checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, state toolkit on applied behavior analysis (press release, August 4, 2026), checked 2026-10-04
- HHS OIG, Colorado Medicaid applied behavior analysis audit (February 2026), checked 2026-10-04
- CMS, Medicare & Mental Health Coverage (MLN1986542, March 2026), checked 2026-10-04
Book a free consultation
We look at a sample of your actual claims and show you, line by line, where money is going uncollected. No commitment follows it.