Between 2008 and 2012 Louisiana’s legislature has passed several laws that ensure a stable and continued income for board certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s).
In 2008 it passed House Bill Number 508, which resulted in:
- Defining the treatment of autism spectrum disorders to include applied behavior analysis
- Requiring health insurance policies, including HMOs (health maintenance organizations) to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in people up to the age of 17 (this age has been subsequently raised to 21)
- Stipulating that the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for an individual is capped at a maximum reimbursement rate of $36,000 per year
Today this means state employee health insurance plans require coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism, as do large and small employer health insurance plans.
In 2012 two additional pieces of legislation were passed with the following effect:
- Raising the age limit of coverage for autism treatment from 17 to 21 years old
- Removing a lifetime reimbursement cap for autism diagnosis treatment, which had previously been $140,000
Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in Louisiana can earn salaries as high as $64,650 a year, according to 2021 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salaries for Experienced BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of Louisiana
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):
New Orleans-Metairie:
- 50th: $64,650
- 75th: $110,550
- 90th: $119,770
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.