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New York ABA Medicaid rates

Rates verified3 cut/limits

Current published Medicaid rates, dated changes, and what they mean. Last checked Oct 20, 2026.

Current rates

97153 · Technician direct therapy (RBT)
$9.63 per 15 min · $38.52/hr
Verified: official source
Effective
Oct 1, 2026
Source
eMedNY ABA Fee Schedule (Effective Oct 1, 2026)
Checked
Oct 20, 2026
Note
FFS rate. Was $19.26 before Oct 2025, $16.85 from Oct 2025, $14.45 from Apr 2026. Managed-care plans negotiate separately.
97155 · Protocol modification (BCBA)
$19.26 per 15 min · $77.04/hr
Verified: official source
Effective
Oct 1, 2026
Source
eMedNY ABA Fee Schedule (Effective Oct 1, 2026)
Checked
Oct 20, 2026
Note
Unchanged; same as 97151/97152/97156.

What it means

For clinic owners

Medicaid fee-for-service now pays $38.52/hr for technician therapy (97153), half of the early-2025 rate, while BCBA codes stay at $19.26/unit ($77.04/hr). Clinics with heavy Medicaid caseloads should model whether direct services can be sustained, check what each managed-care plan will actually pay (plans negotiate separately), and watch A03896, which would cap insured ABA at 680 hours a year.

For BCBAs & RBTs

Technician hours are the line that was cut. Expect pressure on RBT wages, hours and Medicaid caseload openings; BCBA supervision codes were not cut, but fewer funded direct hours means fewer cases to supervise.

Margin check: 97153

Plug in your own numbers. These example inputs are placeholders, not survey data.

Change log

  • Rate cutIn effectOct 1, 2026

    97153 cut 33% to $9.63/unit

    Third cut in a year: technician direct therapy (97153) drops from $14.45 to $9.63 per 15 min ($38.52/hr) for Medicaid fee-for-service, a cumulative ~50% cut from $19.26. Authorized by the FY2026-27 enacted budget. Other ABA codes stay at $19.26.

    Source: NYS Medicaid Update, Aug 2026 (Vol. 42 No. 9) · Verified: official source · checked Oct 20, 2026
  • Rate cutIn effectApr 1, 2026

    97153 second 12.5% cut to $14.45/unit

    Second of two 12.5% reductions to 97153.

    Source: Behavioral Health Business, Sep 23, 2026 · Reported: news source · checked Oct 20, 2026
  • Pending billPendingJan 7, 2026

    A03896: 680-hour annual cap on ABA insurance coverage

    Would cap insurance coverage for ABA (and DIR/Floortime) at 680 hours per person per year (~13 hrs/week). Bill trackers show it referred to the Assembly Insurance Committee on Jan 7, 2026 with no later action; the official page timed out on our check date, so status is not yet re-confirmed.

    Source: NY Senate: Assembly Bill A3896 (2025-26) · Reported: news source · checked Oct 20, 2026
  • Rate cutIn effectOct 1, 2025

    97153 first 12.5% cut

    First of two 12.5% reductions to 97153 (from $19.26).

    Source: Behavioral Health Business, Sep 23, 2026 · Reported: news source · checked Oct 20, 2026

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Sources