Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plans for ABA, occupational, speech and physical therapy for children, teens and young adults.
Insurance & Medicaid
Most families pay far less than they fear.
How to Get ABA & Pediatric Therapy Covered by Medicaid in Michigan
For Bay, Saginaw and Midland county families, here is exactly how coverage works — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan Medicaid and your county community mental health office. And we verify your benefits for free before anything begins.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Michigan Medicaid
County community mental health
Coverage you can count on
Insurance we accept
Game Changer Therapy Services works with your insurance from day one, so paperwork does not stand between your child and the care they need. These are the plans and community partnerships we currently accept at all five of our clinics.
Michigan Medicaid
We accept Michigan Medicaid, helping make therapy accessible to families across the Great Lakes Bay Region. Medicaid autism services are arranged through your county community mental health office (see the pathways below).
Community mental health partners
We are proud to contract with the community mental health organizations serving our region. If your family is connected with one of these offices, ask about a referral to Game Changer Therapy Services.
Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health
The community mental health authority for Bay and Arenac county families, including those near our Bay City clinic.
Saginaw County Community Mental Health
Serving Saginaw County families, including those near our Davenport Ave, Shattuck Rd and Weiss clinics.
Community Mental Health for Central Michigan
Serving Midland-area and central-Michigan families, including those near our Midland clinic.
Our complete carrier list is being finalized. Don't see your plan? Reach out anyway — we verify your benefits for free and will gladly check whether we can work with your coverage. One quick call is all it takes: (989) 860-0846.
Medicaid, step by step
Your county's path to covered ABA services
If your child has Michigan Medicaid, autism and behavioral services are arranged through your local community mental health office. The steps are similar in every county — here is what to expect where you live.
Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health
For families in Bay and Arenac counties.
- Call the access line. Contact Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health and request a screening for your child.
- Complete an intake screening. If your child may qualify, they arrange an autism diagnostic evaluation.
- Get authorized. Once a diagnosis and medical necessity are confirmed, ABA services are approved and you choose Game Changer as your provider.
- Start services. We complete intake and an assessment, submit the treatment plan for authorization, and begin care.
Timeline: Screening is usually quick. In Michigan, autism evaluations can take several months to over a year — but occupational and speech therapy can often start while you wait.
Saginaw County Community Mental Health
For families in Saginaw County.
- Reach out for a screening. Contact Saginaw County Community Mental Health and ask about services for your child.
- Complete intake. A screening determines whether your child may be eligible and, if so, arranges a diagnostic evaluation.
- Receive authorization. With a diagnosis and confirmed medical necessity, ABA is authorized and you name Game Changer as your provider.
- Begin care. We assess, submit your child's plan for approval, and start therapy at the clinic that works best for you.
Timeline: Evaluation waits vary across the region. Ask us for a realistic estimate for your county — and remember OT and speech can begin before an autism diagnosis is finished.
Community Mental Health for Central Michigan
For Midland-area and central-Michigan families.
- Contact the access line. Reach Community Mental Health for Central Michigan to request a screening.
- Screen and evaluate. If your child may qualify, they arrange an autism diagnostic evaluation.
- Authorize services. Once eligibility and medical necessity are established, ABA is approved and you choose Game Changer.
- Start therapy. We handle intake, assessment and the treatment-plan authorization, then care begins.
Timeline: Screening comes first; the diagnostic evaluation is the longest step statewide. We keep families moving and can start OT or speech in the meantime.
Not sure which office covers your county? Call us at (989) 860-0846 and we'll point you to the right access line and help you take the first step.
Don't wait to make progress
Waiting on an autism evaluation? Your child can start now.
Autism evaluations in Michigan can take a long time, and that wait can feel impossible when you know your child needs support. Here is what most families don't realize: occupational therapy and speech therapy can often begin before an autism diagnosis is complete.
That means your child can start building communication, motor and daily-living skills right away — not months from now. When the evaluation and ABA authorization come through, they are already ahead.
Plain-language costs
What you'll actually pay
Cost is the number-one worry we hear, and it rarely matches the reality. Here is the honest breakdown for how families in our region pay for care.
- Michigan Medicaid Covered, medically necessary therapy is typically no out-of-pocket cost for your family once services are authorized.
- County community mental health services When your child's services are authorized through your county CMH office, there is generally no cost to you.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and other commercial plans Your cost depends on your plan's deductible, copay and coinsurance. We tell you the numbers before you start — never after.
- We verify every family's benefits before services begin You will know exactly where you stand from the very first visit, so there are no surprise bills.
What "prior authorization" means
Prior authorization is simply your insurer's OK, in advance, that a service is medically necessary and covered. For ABA it is standard practice, and it works like this:
- The evaluation establishes medical necessity. A diagnosis and assessment show why therapy is needed.
- We submit the treatment plan. Our team sends your child's plan to your insurer or county CMH for approval.
- We handle the paperwork — and the renewals. Authorizations are reviewed periodically; we manage those re-authorizations so you never have to chase them.
Before coverage: the referral
None of the above starts until your child has a physician referral — often called a prescription or a script. It is one page, and your child's doctor signs it.
- Download the form. Print our prescription form, or save it to your phone to show the office.
- Take it to your child's doctor. Their next well visit works fine; you do not need a separate trip.
- Have the office send it back to us. From there we verify your benefits and handle the authorization.
PDF · 1 page · 6.8 MB. If your child has Michigan Medicaid, autism and behavioral services are arranged through your county community mental health office instead — see your county's path above. All three steps, start to finish.
Answers
Insurance questions, answered
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan cover ABA therapy?
Yes. Most Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plans cover ABA therapy as medically necessary care for a child with an autism diagnosis. Your specific out-of-pocket cost depends on your plan's deductible, copay and coinsurance. We verify your exact benefits before services begin, for free.
Will I have a copay for my child's therapy?
It depends on your plan. Michigan Medicaid and services authorized through your county community mental health office are typically no cost to families. Commercial plans such as BCBS of Michigan may have a deductible or copay. We tell you your expected costs up front, before anything begins, so there are no surprise bills.
What if we're denied coverage?
A denial is not the end of the road. We help you understand the reason, gather any additional documentation, and file an appeal when appropriate. If your plan is not on our current list, reach out anyway — our full carrier list is still being finalized and we will gladly check whether we can work with your coverage.
Do we need a referral to get started?
For many services, yes — especially Medicaid, which routes through your county community mental health office. Our onboarding specialists walk you through the referral and authorization steps so nothing falls through the cracks.
If you do not have a referral yet, download our prescription form (PDF, 158 KB), take it to your child's next doctor visit, and ask the office to send the signed copy back to us.
How long until my child can start therapy?
It varies by service and by county. In Michigan, autism diagnostic evaluations can take several months to over a year at approved evaluation centers. The good news: occupational and speech therapy can often begin before an autism diagnosis is complete, so your child does not have to wait to make progress.
We do the hard part
We verify your benefits for you — free.
You do not have to figure insurance out alone. Tell us a little about your child and your coverage, and one of our onboarding specialists will confirm your benefits and walk you through every next step. It's easy as 1–2–3.