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Autism Care Demonstration, TRICARE Health Program
As part of TRICARE’s ongoing commitment to patient safety, providers who deliver applied behavior analysis (ABA) under the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration must get certified in basic life support (BLS) before they see TRICARE patients.
BLS can keep victims with life-threatening events alive until they can get medical care from ambulance personnel or at a hospital. Providers can also get training in CPR, or its equivalent, to meet the requirement. Some people providing ABA services to TRICARE beneficiaries missed a December 2015 deadline to get BLS training.
“ABA providers are in close, one-on-one contact for up to eight hours a day with children with autism spectrum disorder who may often have other medical conditions,” said Navy Capt. Edward Simmer, Deputy Chief of the TRICARE Health Plan in the Defense Health Agency. “Patient safety is one of TRICARE’s highest priorities.”
TRICARE developed the BLS requirement with input from ABA providers. BLS training classes are offered by states, the Red Cross, the American Heart Association, hospitals, and other organizations.
“Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are at an increased risk of choking, seizures, and other life threatening circumstances,” said Dr. Christine R. Erdie-Lalena, a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, “therefore, BLS training should be a minimum requirement for anyone providing ABA services to this patient population.”
You can ask your child’s ABA practice if their providers meet TRICARE’s requirement and have BLS training. “Parents have a right to know if their child’s ABA provider is trained to give life-saving care in an emergency,” said Simmer.
lo Learn more about TRICARE ABA coverage, visit the TRICARE Website.