A new Kansas law that came into effect on July 1, 2016 restricted insurance reimbursement for autism service providers to two types of professionals:
- Anyone licensed under Kansas’ Applied Behavior Analysis Licensure Act
- Anyone granted an autism services waiver by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services
This new law essentially means that state-licensed behavior analysts are one of the only types of professionals in the state that can be reimbursed by insurance companies for their work providing autism services.
And that work has drastically expanded thanks to increased coverage of insurance for autistic children and young adults. In 2010 Kansas’ legislature passed a law that requires health insurance plans for state employees to include coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism-spectrum disorders for individuals up the age of 19 years old. Specifically, this law says behavior analysts can be reimbursed up to:
- $36,000 annually per child, for those aged up to 7 years old
- $27,000 annually per child aged 7-19 years old
In addition to Kansas’ state employee insurance plans, large employer plans, small employer plans, and individual insurance plans are all required to reimburse for autism treatment provided by behavior analysts.
Another boon for behavior analysts came with the 2009 amendment of a law that added autism-spectrum disorders to the list of mental illnesses covered by the following:
- Group health insurance policies
- Medical service plans and contracts
- Hospital service contracts
- HMOs (health maintenance organizations)
Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in Kansas can earn salaries as high as $102,380 a year, according to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salaries for Experienced BCBA®s in Kansas
The range of salaries for board-certified behavior analysts with ten years of experience in the field are shown below (median to top 10% – current as of May, 2021):
- 50th: $102,380
- 75th: $117,890
- 90th: $122,150
Starting Salaries for Behavior Analysts in Kansas
The most highly paid BCBA®s in Kansas who lack job experience in the field of behavior analysis can command salaries that exceed the median salary among highly experienced BCBA®s in the state. Salary data shown below for entry-level ABAs is current as of May 2021 (10th percentile to median):
- 10th: $29,350
- 25th: $87,820
- 50th: $102,380
2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Psychologists, All Other reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2023.