Somerville City Council Becomes the Third to Urge MassHealth to Reform Autism Care

Somerville, MA, September 2nd, 2025 – Last Thursday, Somerville joined Cambridge and Medford by passing a resolution (10-0-1) urging the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and MassHealth to fully recognize Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analysts (BCaBAs) who are licensed by the Department of Public Health (DPH) and provide them with reimbursement for their services.

“At least 2,000 children in Massachusetts are unable to get critical and timely care,” Somerville At-Large City Councilor Kristen Strezo said. “BCaBAs are commonplace in 30 other states, can cut per-child costs, and can dramatically reduce the time it takes for diagnosis and treatment.”

In Massachusetts, some 2,000-3,000 children are waiting for access to clinically appropriate services. Early intervention and consistent, timely treatment are essential to achieve the best outcomes. The biggest reason for this waitlist is that there are not enough ABA providers under the current care model.

BCaBAs serve as a mid-tier supervisor for the provision of autism services, operating under the direction of a licensed BCBA. This model is used successfully in other states and carries three principal benefits. First, the clinical competency of brand new BCBAs is enhanced as they spend significant time as a mid-tier BCaBA supervisor, shadowing experienced BCBA clinicians and gaining hands-on experience that is unavailable in our current system. Second, access to care is almost doubled under BCaBAs as one BCBA would be able to oversee 10-16 clients with support from 1-2 BCaBAs, but only 6-10 with no support supervision. Lastly, per child costs are lower when a BCaBA mid-tier supervisor is part of the care-team, as the reimbursement level for a BCaBA is below that of a BCBA.

About the Massachusetts Providers for ABA Access and Quality (MPAAQ) :

MPAAQ’s mission is to improve quality and program integrity, increase access, and to support school systems in Massachusetts. Providers who represent 50% of all ABA services delivered in Massachusetts, 24 mayors, and more have joined the coalition to bring timely care to Massachusetts families. As Massachusetts providers of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) services to treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental delays, we know first-hand the importance of early and intensive behavioral intervention and consistent, timely treatment. Every day we make best efforts to accommodate the growing demand for treatment from the estimated 1 in 36 children who will be diagnosed with autism. Learn more at www.mpaaq.org