Mississippi became the 40th state in the nation to enact insurance reform that guarantees coverage for the treatment and diagnosis of autism. House Bill 885 was signed into law in 2015 and recognizes applied behavior analysis as a treatment provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) to treat autism.
This reform means that today children from the ages of two to eight years old have automatic insurance coverage to address their autism, with additional covered treatment if it is determined to be necessary by a doctor.
All insurance plans in the state must provide this coverage including individual, group, non-profit, private, and HMOs. Mississippi’s State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan is also subject to this reform. As soon as this bill became law, the estimated 10,000 children in Mississippi with autism instantly became eligible for insurance reimbursement for care provided by BCBA®s.
Also within that reform were provisions that have expanded insurance coverage for autism even further. Today this means that any Mississippian can sign up for an insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid that covers autism related services.
Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in Mississippi can earn salaries as high as $91,980 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 Mississippi
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):
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula:
- 50th: $91,980
- 75th: $110,550
- 90th: $119,770
Starting Salaries for BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of Mississippi
The most highly paid BCBA®s in Mississippi 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):
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula:
- 10th: $26,230
- 25th: $46,220
- 50th: $91,980
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.