What do I need before Medicaid will pay for ABA?

Typically three things: an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis from a qualified provider, a recommendation or referral for ABA therapy, and prior authorization from your Medicaid plan, which your ABA provider should obtain for you.

How fast can my child start ABA with Utah Medicaid?

It depends on the provider's capacity and how quickly authorization is completed. Golden Touch ABA verifies benefits within one business day of first contact and handles the authorization process, so families can typically start much sooner than the industry's 2–8 week norm.

Insurance

Does Utah Medicaid Cover ABA Therapy? A Parent's Guide

Q: Does Utah Medicaid cover ABA therapy?

Yes. Utah Medicaid covers ABA therapy for members under 21 with an autism diagnosis when it is medically necessary, under the federal EPSDT benefit. Coverage runs through Utah's Medicaid plans, including Healthy U, Molina, Health Choice Utah, and SelectHealth Community Care.

By the Golden Touch ABA clinical team · August 25, 2026 · 6 min read

Short answer: yes. Utah Medicaid covers ABA therapy for children and young adults under 21 who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, when the therapy is medically necessary. If your child has Medicaid and a diagnosis, cost should not be the thing standing between your family and treatment.

The details are where families get stuck: which plan you have, what paperwork is needed, and how long it takes. Here's the whole picture in plain English.

Why coverage is guaranteed for kids: EPSDT

Federal Medicaid law includes a benefit called EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment). In practice it means Medicaid must cover medically necessary treatment for members under 21, and ABA therapy for a child with an ASD diagnosis falls squarely inside that. Utah Medicaid administers this through its autism services benefit.

Which Utah Medicaid plans cover ABA?

Utah Medicaid members are typically enrolled in one of the state's managed-care plans. All of them cover ABA:

Healthy U (University of Utah Health Plans)
Molina Healthcare
Health Choice Utah
SelectHealth Community Care
Traditional fee-for-service Utah Medicaid

Golden Touch ABA accepts all Utah Medicaid plans, every plan listed above. If your child has Utah Medicaid, we can see them.

What you need before ABA can start

An ASD diagnosis from a qualified provider (such as a psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or other approved clinician). No diagnosis yet? Start with our guide to getting your child evaluated in Utah.
A recommendation for ABA therapy, usually part of the diagnostic report or from your child's doctor.
Prior authorization from your Medicaid plan. This is the step that intimidates parents most, and it's the step a good ABA provider does for you.

How long does it take?

Industry-wide, families often wait 2–8 weeks (sometimes longer) between first contact and first session, with much of it lost to slow benefit checks and authorization paperwork. That's a solvable problem: at Golden Touch, we verify your child's benefits within one business day of hearing from you, then handle the authorization while you focus on your child.

What will it cost you?

For most Utah Medicaid families, ABA therapy comes at little to no out-of-pocket cost once approved. Every situation is unique, though, which is exactly why we check your specific benefits first and tell you plainly what to expect before you commit to anything. If your child is on a commercial plan instead, or you want to see the full price picture, read how much ABA therapy costs in Utah.

The one exception worth knowing

Commercial SelectHealth plans are the one major Utah insurer we don't accept, but their Medicaid plan, SelectHealth Community Care, is accepted. If you're unsure which one you have, send it over and we'll sort it out for you in the benefit check.