---
title: "UnitedHealthcare / Optum ABA coverage in Minnesota: the intake guide."
url: "https://carelu.com/payers/unitedhealthcare-minnesota"
markdown_url: "https://carelu.com/payers/unitedhealthcare-minnesota.md"
state: MN (Minnesota)
payer: UnitedHealthcare / Optum in Minnesota
kind: Commercial insurance
description: "How UnitedHealthcare / Optum covers ABA for Minnesota families: Optum’s ABA criteria and two-step authorization, Minnesota’s large-employer autism mandate (children under 18), behavior analyst licensure, telehealth limits, and what intake should verify."
last_reviewed: October 2026
---

# UnitedHealthcare / Optum ABA coverage in Minnesota: the intake guide.

_Payer Guide · UnitedHealthcare · Minnesota · Last updated October 2026 · 24 primary sources_

> Optum criteria (BH803ABASCC) + Minnesota’s large-employer mandate; no Minnesota entry in Optum’s ABA state mandates.

For a Minnesota intake team, a UnitedHealthcare card means Optum Behavioral Health’s national ABA criteria, Minnesota’s large-employer autism mandate, Minnesota’s behavior analyst license, and the plan’s funding type. UnitedHealthcare is not one of the eight Minnesota Medical Assistance plans on DHS’s EIDBI grid, so a UHC card here is commercial (or Medicare).

## Prior authorization and diagnosis at a glance

- **Prior auth for the assessment**: Required: "Prior authorization is required for ABA *(unless otherwise specified or mandated by contract or law)," run as a two-step Optum flow, assessment first [1]
- **Prior auth for treatment** _(plan-dependent)_: Required (second step); Minnesota’s 2026 bar on prior authorization of "outpatient mental health treatment" for fully insured plans may be the "law" Optum’s exception refers to, but no source read applies it to ABA [1][12]
  - Ask the plan: Optum Provider Express support, (866) 209-9320: confirm whether a Minnesota fully insured plan still requires ABA authorization.
- **Autism diagnosis required?**: Yes: DSM-5-TR ASD confirmed by a state-licensed diagnosing clinician with at least one validated tool [1]

## At a glance

- **Covers ABA?:** Yes, for ASD, per Optum’s ABA Supplemental Clinical Criteria
- **State mandate:** Minn. Stat. § 62A.3094 (Laws 2013, ch. 108)
- **Mandate age:** Children under 18
- **Mandate caps:** No dollar or visit cap in the statute; treatment-plan updates limited to once every six months
- **Exempt from mandate:** Small-group and individual plans (mandate binds large employers, 51+ employees) and self-funded ERISA plans
- **Licensure:** Licensed behavior analyst required since Jan. 1, 2025 (Board of Psychology), unless exempt
- **Fee schedule:** Not public — Optum pays up to the “Fee Maximum” in your agreement, by credential level (HM/HN/HO/HP modifiers)

## The national policy, applied in Minnesota

UnitedHealthcare administers ABA through Optum Behavioral Health under the ABA Supplemental Clinical Criteria (BH803ABASCC; interim review April 2026): prior authorization for ABA "unless otherwise specified or mandated by contract or law," diagnosis by a "state licensed physician, psychologist, or other state licensed clinician," direct case supervision "1 – 2 hours for every 10 hours of direct treatment per week," and review of use below 80% of authorized hours. Optum’s ABA State Mandates supplement (effective July 2026) lists Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio (Medicaid) and Pennsylvania; Minnesota is not there, so no Minnesota-specific criteria modify the policy. Optum’s National Network Manual (July 2026) does carry Minnesota regulatory requirements for the network contract. [1][2][5][6]

## The Minnesota mandate: what it guarantees

Minnesota’s autism mandate, Minn. Stat. § 62A.3094, is narrower than most states’. It binds "A health plan issued to a large employer, as defined in section 62Q.18," which § 62Q.18 defines as an employer with "more than 50 current employees." Those plans "must provide coverage for the diagnosis, evaluation, multidisciplinary assessment, and medically necessary care of children under 18 with autism spectrum disorders," expressly including "early intensive behavioral and developmental therapy … including, but not limited to, all types of applied behavior analysis, intensive early intervention behavior therapy, and intensive behavior intervention," plus speech, occupational and physical therapy and medications. Treatment follows "an individualized treatment plan prescribed by the enrollee’s treating physician or mental health professional"; the carrier "may request an updated treatment plan only once every six months" unless both sides agree more is needed; and "An independent progress evaluation conducted by a mental health professional with expertise and training in autism spectrum disorder and child development must be completed." Medical necessity must be "consistent with generally accepted practice parameters as determined by physicians and licensed psychologists who typically manage patients who have autism spectrum disorders." The section sets no dollar or visit cap. It does not reach small-group or individual policies, or self-funded employer plans (ERISA); those fall back on the plan document plus parity law, and Minnesota’s parity statute (§ 62Q.47) applies to "All health plans … that provide coverage for … mental health" services. [7][8][9]

## Licensure, out-of-state BCBAs and rates

Minnesota now licenses behavior analysts. Laws 2024, ch. 127, art. 19 created a license under the Board of Psychology (Minn. Stat. §§ 148.9981–148.9995; the BACB’s licensure table lists Minnesota, 2024, MN Board of Psychology). Since January 1, 2025, "an individual must not engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis unless the individual is licensed … as a behavior analyst or is exempt"; licensed psychologists are exempt, and so are "unlicensed supervisee[s] or trainee[s]" working "under the authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst," family members acting under that direction, school-district employees, and supervised students. The license requires "a current and active national certification as a board-certified behavior analyst" (or the equivalent requirements) plus a background check, and renews every two years. The exceptions list has no out-of-state or telehealth carve-out, so a BCBA licensed in another state should get a Minnesota license (or confirm an exemption with the Board of Psychology) before treating a Minnesota child, including remotely. For rates: commercial ABA rates are negotiated and unpublished; the public benchmark is Minnesota Medical Assistance’s EIDBI rate, $20.178 per 15-minute unit of intervention when delivered by a QSP or Level I provider (SPA MN-24-0010, effective January 1, 2024). [14][15][16][17][18][24]

## What is UnitedHealthcare’s fee schedule for ABA?

UnitedHealthcare publishes no ABA rate table. Optum’s National Network Manual defines the "Fee Maximum" as the most a participating provider may be paid for a service and says "Reimbursement to clinicians is based upon licensure rather than degree." Optum’s commercial ABA Reimbursement Policy (2022RP501A, updated February 2026) puts a credential modifier on every line: HM for an RBT, HN for a BCaBA, HO for a master’s-level BCBA or licensed mental health provider, HP for a BCBA-D; indirect work has no separate code. Minnesota’s prompt-pay statute (§ 62Q.75) makes "All health plan companies and third-party administrators … pay or deny claims that are clean claims within 30 calendar days" of receipt, with interest at "1.5 percent per month," and, "Unless otherwise provided by contract," providers must submit charges "within six months from the date of service." [5][4][10]

## Claim filing and payment rules

Optum’s National Network Manual: claims must be received "no more than 90 calendar days from the date of service, or as allowed by state or federal law or the member’s specific benefit plan," and "Any corrections or additions to a claim should be made within 90 days of initial claim receipt." Complete, authorized claims "will be paid within 45 calendar days after Optum receives the claim, or as required by state and federal laws," which may exclude claims that need coordination-of-benefits decisions; the manual sets no separate secondary-claim deadline and publishes no check-run schedule. [5]

## What a reauthorization must show

Optum’s ABA Supplemental Clinical Criteria (review 04/2026) set what each continued-service review needs: progress "assessed and documented for each targeted symptom and behavior … including the same modes of measurement that were utilized for baseline measurement"; progress that includes "rate and percentage of mastered programs, rates of mastered targets, change scores for any outcome measures, updated standardized adaptive measures, and change scores for skills-based assessments"; an assessment of the reasons and modified interventions when there is inadequate progress "within a 6-month period"; and an explanation when use of authorized hours falls below 80% over a two-week period. Treatment plans "are usually reviewed/updated twice annually." The criteria do not require graphs. [1]

## Intake gates

The questions that decide whether a family can start with UnitedHealthcare / Optum in Minnesota, and what they have to bring.

- **Diagnosis recency**: No expiry on the diagnosis; it must be confirmed with severity using validated tools, and progress is reassessed over six-month periods. [1]
- **Who may diagnose**: A "state licensed physician, psychologist, or other state licensed clinician qualified to make such diagnosis." [1]
- **Diagnostic tools required**: At least one validated tool; formal diagnostic tools listed include ADI-R, ADOS/ADOS-2 and DISCO, with screens such as CARS-2 and STAT (non-exhaustive). [1]
- **Referral required?**: No separate referral; the SCC require prior authorization, two steps on Provider Express. For a Minnesota large-employer plan, § 62A.3094 ties covered treatment to "an individualized treatment plan prescribed by the enrollee’s treating physician or mental health professional," lets the carrier request an updated plan "only once every six months," and requires an independent progress evaluation by a mental health professional. [1][7]
- **Age limit** _(plan-dependent)_: The SCC carry no age criterion. For a Minnesota large-employer plan (more than 50 employees, fully insured), § 62A.3094 requires autism coverage "of children under 18"; it sets no dollar cap. Small-group, individual and self-funded plans sit outside that section, so the plan document governs. [1][7][8]
  - Ask the plan: Provider Express benefits check: establish group size and funding first.
- **Telehealth** _(plan-dependent)_: Optum’s telehealth billing guide (September 2025): "For ABA services, telehealth is only allowed for these 3 CPT codes: 97155, 97156 or 97157," billed with POS 02 or 10. For fully insured Minnesota plans the Minnesota Telehealth Act bars denying a covered service "solely" because it is delivered by telehealth and requires same-rate payment (§ 62A.673), so ask how Optum applies its three-code list to those plans. [3][13]
  - Ask the plan: Optum Provider Express support, (866) 209-9320: ask whether 97151 or 97153 by telehealth are paid on a Minnesota fully insured plan.
- **Prior-auth decision time** _(plan-dependent)_: Depends on how the plan is funded. Fully insured Minnesota plans fall under the Minnesota Utilization Review Act: a standard prior-authorization decision must be communicated "within five business days after receiving the request, regardless of how the request was received," once the reviewer has the information it reasonably needs (§ 62M.05, subd. 3a), and an expedited one "no later than 48 hours and must include at least one business day" (subd. 3b). An approved authorization may not be revoked or limited later except for fraud, misinformation or a conflict with law (§ 62M.07, subd. 3). For plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, "An authorization for treatment of a chronic health condition does not expire unless the standard of treatment for that health condition changes" (subd. 5), and no carrier may require prior authorization of "outpatient mental health treatment" (subd. 2(2)); the statute does not say whether it treats ABA as outpatient mental health treatment, so ask. Self-funded employer (ERISA) plans follow 29 CFR 2560.503-1 instead: pre-service decisions "not later than 15 days after receipt of the claim," one 15-day extension, urgent care within 72 hours. UnitedHealthcare/Optum publishes no Minnesota-specific ABA turnaround. [11][12][19]
  - Ask the plan: At benefits verification ask whether the plan is fully insured in Minnesota or self-funded.
- **Other insurance (who pays first)** _(plan-dependent)_: If the child also has Minnesota Medical Assistance, UnitedHealthcare/Optum pays first: Medicaid is payer of last resort (42 CFR 433.139). For EIDBI, though, DHS runs "pay and chase": the EIDBI provider is "not required to bill a member’s commercial insurance before billing Medicaid," and MHCP or the MCO recovers from the commercial plan afterwards, so a Medicaid-enrolled EIDBI agency may see the commercial carrier come back for the money. TRICARE pays after this plan (10 U.S.C. 1079(i)(1)); CHAMPVA is the last payer (38 CFR 17.270). We did not read Minnesota’s group coordination-of-benefits rule, so confirm the order between two parents’ plans (birthday rule or otherwise) with the carrier. [20][21][22][23]
  - Ask the plan: Ask UnitedHealthcare/Optum for the member’s coordination-of-benefits order and record every other coverage.

## Delivery and billing rules

Coverage decides whether UnitedHealthcare / Optum in Minnesota pays. These decide whether the claim survives: staffing and supervision, concurrent billing, per-day ceilings, who signs the note, where the service is payable, and whose NPI the claim goes out under.

- **Supervision**: Direct case supervision "1 – 2 hours for every 10 hours of direct treatment per week," consistent with CASP; technicians work under a BCBA or licensed clinician and should be RBTs or otherwise certified; Optum does not recommend parents as their own child’s RBT. In Minnesota the supervisor must hold the Minnesota license (§ 148.9986). [1][16]
- **Daily limits / MUEs**: No numeric cap; hours must be justified by documented need, and use below 80% of authorized hours triggers review. [1]
- **Place of service**: Least restrictive appropriate level; services covered under IDEA, or 1:1 aide work during classroom instruction, are not covered; school coordination is (SCC). [1]
- **Bill as provider**: Credential modifiers on every line (HM RBT, HN BCaBA, HO BCBA or licensed mental health provider, HP BCBA-D); "Reimbursement to clinicians is based upon licensure rather than degree." [4][5]
- **Concurrent billing (97153 + 97155)** _(ask the plan)_: Not addressed in the SCC. [1]
  - Ask the plan: Optum National Network Manual, the participating agreement, or Optum provider services.
- **Session-note signature** _(ask the plan)_: Not addressed in the SCC. [1]
  - Ask the plan: Optum National Network Manual documentation standards and the participating agreement.

## What intake should collect for UnitedHealthcare / Optum in Minnesota

- **Plan funding and group size:** Fully insured large-employer (§ 62A.3094 applies), small group/individual, or self-funded ERISA.
- **Member ID + card photo:** Enough to run a benefits check on Provider Express.
- **Diagnosis with a validated tool:** DSM-5-TR ASD with severity, confirmed with a validated tool (ADI-R, ADOS-2 and others).
- **Treatment plan from the physician or mental health professional:** § 62A.3094 ties covered treatment to it; updates at most every six months.

Free verification-call checklist (PDF): https://carelu.com/downloads/aba-verification-call-checklist.pdf

## Common questions

### Does UnitedHealthcare (Optum) require graphs for ABA continued-service reviews?

No. Optum’s criteria ask for progress on every target using the baseline measurement method, mastery rates and change scores, updated standardized adaptive measures, and an explanation of low hour use, but they do not require graphs.

### What are UnitedHealthcare (Optum)’s claim filing deadlines for Minnesota ABA claims?

90 calendar days from the date of service (or longer where state law or the plan allows), corrections within 90 days of the original claim’s receipt, and payment of complete claims within 45 days or the state’s shorter clock. No check-run schedule is published.

### Does UnitedHealthcare cover ABA therapy in Minnesota?

Yes, under Optum’s national ABA criteria for ASD, with Minnesota’s mandate layered on for fully insured large-employer plans and children under 18.

### Does Optum have Minnesota-specific ABA criteria?

No. Optum’s ABA State Mandates supplement does not list Minnesota.

### Is UnitedHealthcare a Minnesota Medicaid plan?

Not for EIDBI: DHS’s October 2026 grid lists Blue Plus, HealthPartners, Hennepin Health, IMCare, Medica, PrimeWest Health, South Country Health Alliance and Medica One Health Plan.

## Primary sources

1. [Optum ABA Supplemental Clinical Criteria (BH803ABASCC; interim review April 2026)](https://public.providerexpress.com/content/dam/ope-provexpr/us/pdfs/clinResourcesMain/autismABA/abaSCC.pdf)
2. [Optum — ABA State Mandates (BH803ABASTM, effective July 2026; Minnesota not listed)](https://public.providerexpress.com/content/dam/ope-provexpr/us/pdfs/clinResourcesMain/guidelines/scc/ABA_SCC_SM.pdf)
3. [Optum — Telehealth Billing Quick Reference Guide (updated September 2025)](https://public.providerexpress.com/content/dam/ope-provexpr/us/pdfs/home/Telehealth_Billing_Guide_Updates.pdf)
4. [Optum — ABA Reimbursement Policy, Commercial (2022RP501A, updated February 2026)](https://public.providerexpress.com/content/dam/ope-provexpr/us/pdfs/clinResourcesMain/guidelines/reimbPolicies/abaReimburs2020s.pdf)
5. [Optum National Network Manual (BH02330, July 1, 2026 edition; lists Minnesota regulatory requirements)](https://public.providerexpress.com/content/dam/ope-provexpr/us/pdfs/adminResourcesMain/netwmanual/NNManual.pdf)
6. [DHS — EIDBI Managed Care Organization (MCO) Contact Information Grid (October 2026)](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/manuals/documents/pub/DHS-312255.pdf)
7. [Minn. Stat. § 62A.3094 — Coverage for autism spectrum disorders (large-employer plans, children under 18)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62A.3094)
8. [Minn. Stat. § 62Q.18, subd. 1 — "Large employer" means more than 50 current employees](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.18)
9. [Minn. Stat. § 62Q.47 — Mental health and substance use parity (all health plans)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.47)
10. [Minn. Stat. § 62Q.75 — Prompt payment: clean claims in 30 days, 1.5% monthly interest, six-month claim filing](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62Q.75)
11. [Minn. Stat. § 62M.05 — Review determinations: standard 5 business days, expedited 48 hours](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62M.05)
12. [Minn. Stat. § 62M.07 — Prior authorization (subd. 2 prohibited PA, subd. 3 no retroactive revocation, subd. 5 chronic conditions)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62M.07)
13. [Minn. Stat. § 62A.673 — Minnesota Telehealth Act (commercial telehealth coverage and payment parity)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/62A.673)
14. [Minn. Stat. § 148.9981 — Behavior analyst licensure: definitions (Board of Psychology; practice of ABA)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.9981)
15. [Minn. Stat. § 148.9983 — Requirements for behavior analyst licensure](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.9983)
16. [Minn. Stat. § 148.9986 — Prohibited practice or use of titles (license required from Jan. 1, 2025)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.9986)
17. [Minn. Stat. § 148.9987 — Exceptions to the behavior analyst license requirement](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.9987)
18. [BACB — U.S. Licensure of Behavior Analysts (Minnesota: 2024 law, MN Board of Psychology)](https://www.bacb.com/u-s-licensure-of-behavior-analysts/)
19. [29 CFR 2560.503-1 — ERISA claims procedure (eCFR)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-2560.503-1)
20. [42 CFR 433.139 — Medicaid third-party liability, incl. pay-and-recover for EPSDT (eCFR)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-C/part-433/subpart-D/section-433.139)
21. [MHCP Provider Manual — Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Benefit (revised Sept. 14, 2026)](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=DHS16_195658)
22. [10 U.S.C. 1079(i)(1) — TRICARE pays after other coverage except Medicaid](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title10/html/USCODE-2023-title10-subtitleA-partII-chap55-sec1079.htm)
23. [38 CFR 17.270 — CHAMPVA is the last payer](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-17.270)
24. [CMS-approved Minnesota SPA MN-24-0010, Attachment 4.19-B — EIDBI rates (effective Jan. 1, 2024)](https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/spa/downloads/MN-24-0010.pdf)

Payer policies change frequently and vary by plan, state, and funding type. This guide was compiled from the sources above and last reviewed October 2026; it is general information, not billing, legal, or clinical advice. Always verify current requirements against the payer's live policy and a benefits check for the specific member.

Source: Carelu ABA Payer Directory — https://carelu.com/payers. Free to cite with attribution.