Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Folks, the attached file has the Federal Register Autism Pilot Project
Announcement. We were hoping this would have been published a couple of
months ago, since it is basically just a regurgitation of the report to
Congress from July. Now, the demo with the new TRICARE standards for
ABA "tutors" under the ECHO Program will likely not begin until 60 days
after today, or 2 February 2008 at the earliest. I have been telling
everyone that it would happen around the end of January, so I am not too
far off. I would give a copy of this to your current or potential ABA
providers, so they are aware of the new rules that are in this document.
What is not here is the specific requirements for the hiring, training
and supervision of the ABA "tutors". As stated in paragraph E,
"requirements for TRICARE authorized IBI Tutors and IBI Supervisors will
be detailed prior to the start of the demonstration project in the
TRICARE Operations Manual, available at (http://manuals.tricare.osd.mil
<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html
&log=linklog&to=http://manuals.tricare.osd.mil> )." So, we will have to
wait until the changes are published in the TRICARE Operations Manual
before any actual changes in the definition of a TRICARE-authorized ABA
provider can really be implemented.

Also, this is not the end of the change process. Karen Driscoll, I and
others are continuing to work on better establishing with TRICARE the
medical necessity of ABA and other behavioral interventions for military
kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and other cognitive
disabilities for all active duty and retired families. The hope is to
gain eventual implementation of either no cost ceiling for the ABA or
the movement of ABA and other behavioral interventions out of the ECHO
program and into the basic TRICARE program as medically-necessary
habilitative care. With only 5% of the estimated 20,000 (not 7,000 to
9,000 listed in this announcement) active-duty military kids with ASDs
getting some minimal amount of ABA, the current state of medical care
for them is simply unacceptable. If you personally know a senator or
congressman (or their lead legislative staff member) who may be willing
to help with this cause, please let me know, so that we can better
educate them on the existing, typically pathetic medical services for my
kid and yours.

If you have any questions about this announcement or the likely changes
in TRICARE policy, please CALL me. Do NOT send an email, since I will
just ask you to call me. I do not have the time to try to guess the
real questions you may have via email, so please call me instead (but
not after 10pm). Thanks! Scott

Office 703 681-9426
Home 703 241-2640
<<Federal Register Autism Pilot Project 4 Dec 07.doc>> Classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE



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