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Providers urge lawmakers to require regular MassHealth ABA rate reviews to prevent access gaps
Summary
Clinical directors and provider groups told the committee S2587 and H4353 would create a biannual, data-driven rate-review process for MassHealth ABA reimbursement to align rates with rising costs, accreditation and new documentation burdens, and to shore up workforce recruitment and retention.
Clinical and provider leaders told the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing that newly implemented MassHealth ABA policy changes and chronic reimbursement stagnation threaten access to services and workforce stability.
"Massachusetts reimburses approximately $65 per hour for direct ABA services compared to $88 per hour in Arizona and $83 an hour in Maryland," Dr. Maria McClain, representing the Massachusetts Association for Behavior Analysis, said in support of H4353 and S2587. She told the committee that rates have not kept pace with inflation and rising labor costs, reducing provider participation and restricting access.
Dr. Rebecca Thompson, chair of Massachusetts Providers for ABA Access and Quality (MPAC), and Tiffany Zayas described how new documentation, accreditation, and scheduling requirements in the 2026 MassHealth ABA policy increase administrative costs and reduce operational flexibility. Thompson said the bills do not mandate automatic rate increases but would require regular, data-driven reviews that consider cost-of-living comparisons, recruitment and retention trends, and new service mandates.
Supporters argued that a statutory rate-review mechanism would allow policymakers to align reimbursement with the evolving cost of delivering care and to avoid sudden access crises as clinical and administrative requirements change. The committee accepted testimony and did not vote on S2587 or H4353 at the hearing.
