ABA Medicaid rates in Connecticut run below the national median on every code the state publishes: Connecticut Medicaid, branded HUSKY Health, pays $53.84 an hour for code 97153, ranking 29th of 42 states and 15.1% below the national median of $63.44. The rate is $13.46 per 15-minute unit, effective 2024-07-01.
Connecticut is unusual less for its rate level than for its structure. It publishes only three ABA codes on our data, and it pairs them with a dense prior-authorization rule set. All rates are compiled from official Connecticut Medicaid publications and link to their source documents on the Connecticut Medicaid rates hub.
Connecticut Medicaid ABA reimbursement: three published codes
| Code | Per 15 min | Per hour | Rank | vs national median | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97153 technician therapy | $13.46 | $53.84 | 29 of 42 | -15.1% | 2024-07-01 |
| 97156 caregiver training | $20.38 | $81.52 | 32 of 43 | -14.0% | 2025-07-01 |
| 97158 analyst-led group | $2.97 | $11.88 | 29 of 30 | -68.2% | 2024-07-01 |
Our data has no Connecticut rate for analyst protocol modification (97155), analyst assessment (97151), technician-assisted assessment (97152) or technician-led groups (97154).
The missing analyst codes are the most important gap for a BCBA-led practice. Nationally, 97155 has a median of $101.04 an hour and 97151 a median of $116.56. Without published Connecticut figures for either, an agency cannot model supervision or assessment revenue from this schedule alone and should confirm how the state reimburses that analyst time before staffing a caseload.
The analyst-led group rate is among the lowest in the country
Connecticut is one of three states on the national low list for 97158, together with Louisiana ($12.00) and Texas ($11.24). Its $11.88 hourly figure is 68.2% below the national median of $37.30. Group rates are paid per patient, which is why they look small, but even on that basis Connecticut's group rate leaves little room for an analyst-led social-skills program. By contrast, Virginia pays $112.52 and Georgia $70.04 for the same code.
Prior authorization rules on Connecticut ABA codes
The coverage rules on file for Connecticut list:
- 97153: 13 prior-authorization rules;
- 97156: 12 prior-authorization rules, with a limit expressed per week;
- 97158: 22 prior-authorization rules.
That density matters as much as the rates. Each rule is a condition an authorization request has to satisfy, and the weekly limit on caregiver training caps how much family-training time a treatment plan can bill in any given week. Agencies should build authorization tracking into intake, and schedule 97156 sessions against the weekly cap rather than in blocks.
Recent changes to Connecticut autism services
Three items on file affect Connecticut ABA providers:
- 25-A: January 2025 Quarterly HIPAA Compliant Update, proposed 2024-12-24 for 2025-01-01, which included updates to the Autism Services fee schedule alongside physician, radiology, laboratory and DMEPOS schedules.
- SPA 25-Y: Updates to the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Services, proposed 2025-06-03 for 2025-07-01. The caregiver training rate on this page carries that 2025-07-01 effective date.
- PB25-86: Changes to Prior Authorization of Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies for individuals whose primary diagnosis is intellectual disability, developmental delay, autism or another developmental disorder, published 2025-12-29 and now effective.
PB25-86 is not an ABA rate change, but it covers the same diagnoses. Agencies that coordinate with speech, occupational or physical therapists for shared clients should review the new authorization process.
Wages and the margin on a Connecticut technician hour
Connecticut's technician wage is close to the national figure and its analyst wage is above it. The median wage for the closest comparable technician occupation was $21.50 an hour in May 2025, against $22.08 nationally. The analyst proxy was $30.57, against $28.53. Both are proxy occupations and understate pay for credentialed staff.
- 97153: wages take 56.8% of the $53.84 rate, leaving $23.28 an hour after a loaded wage.
- 97156: wages take 53.3% of the $81.52 rate, leaving $38.07.
A $23.28 technician margin is thin for a high-cost state. It has to absorb travel, cancellations, non-billable supervision and the administrative cost of the authorization rules described above.
HUSKY Health, the Autism Waiver and how ABA is paid
Connecticut's programs on file include Connecticut Medicaid / HUSKY Health, listed as fee-for-service under CMAP, and the Connecticut Autism Waiver, operated by the Department of Developmental Services. Our data records no managed-care service-line rule for ABA, so the published HUSKY Health schedule is the operative rate. Nine plans are on file; the Connecticut managed-care page lists them.
Connecticut against the highest and lowest ABA states
On 97153, Connecticut's $53.84 sits well below the national leaders: Alaska at $127.80, Georgia at $123.64 and Iowa at $114.36. It remains above Louisiana ($40.00) and New York ($38.52), a neighboring market with the lowest 97153 rate on file. For agencies serving the New England and New York corridor, Connecticut pays more per technician hour than New York but less than the national middle. The national ABA rates hub compares every state, and our methodology explains the per-hour conversion.
Updated 2026-10-05