In a 2012 December solstice announcement the governor declared a new insurance coverage policy for the diagnosis and treatment of autism. It specifically references coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatments, effectively guaranteeing steady funding for these when provided by qualified professionals like Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s).
Specifics of the governor’s policy include:
- Occupational therapy and psychiatric care for autism are covered, including ABA treatments
- Up to 20 hours of ABA treatment is reimbursed every week
- Up to 20 visits per year to speech, occupation, and language therapists are covered
Insurance plans that must expand their coverage to include autism treatment and diagnoses include:
- State employee health insurance plans – in 2012 this meant mandatory coverage for the state’s 176,137 state employees plus their families
- Health insurance plans sold on the private market
- Health insurance plans sold on the exchange market required under the Affordable Care Act
- The treatment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders is defined as an essential health benefit
This ensures virtually all Ohio’s autistic children have access to reimbursed treatment by BCBA®s. Before this insurance policy was announced only about 40 percent of the state’s children were covered, according to the news outlet Cleveland.com.
Experienced board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA®s) in Ohio can earn salaries as high as $114,420 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 Ohio
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):
Cincinnati:
- 50th: $98,990
- 75th: $118,140
- 90th: $124,530
Cleveland-Elyria:
- 50th: $105,600
- 75th: $115,210
- 90th: $124,800
Columbus:
- 50th: $106,410
- 75th: $114,440
- 90th: $117,620
Dayton:
- 50th: $114,420
- 75th: $132,920
- 90th: $149,740
Starting Salaries for BCBA®s in the Largest Metropolitan areas of Ohio
The most highly paid BCBA®s in Ohio 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):
Cincinnati:
- 10th: $27,250
- 25th: $62,110
- 50th: $98,990
Cleveland-Elyria:
- 10th: $27,310
- 25th: $80,350
- 50th: $105,600
Columbus:
- 10th: $39,090
- 25th: $88,210
- 50th: $106,410
Dayton:
- 10th: $79,640
- 25th: $101,000
- 50th: $114,420
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.