CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada is planning to pay a bit more than it originally proposed for therapists who work with children with autism, after parents complained the hourly rate was too low.
State health officials announced Monday that they plan to reimburse providers $31.31 an hour for services provided by registered behavior technicians to children under Medicaid. That's up from the original proposed rate of $29.50, but well below the $40 rate that many parents requested.
State officials say there are 113 registered behavior technicians in Nevada. The technicians must have at least a high school diploma, 40 hours of training and a certification.
Parents said Nevada needed to pay better to attract enough therapists to the state.
Next year is the first time the time-intensive autism therapy will be covered through Medicaid.