Behavioral Health Treatment (BHT) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Provider Enrollment
Starting July 1, 2025, enrolled Qualified Autism Service (QAS) Providers may render and submit claims for reimbursement to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) directly for BHT services provided to children enrolled in fee-for-service (FFS) Medi-Cal. Information about Medi-Cal's BHT policy is available in the Medi-Cal Provider Manual.
1. Which QAS providers need to enroll in Medi-Cal?
The enrollment pathway is only for Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBA) and Educational Psychologists who will enroll as QAS Providers through Medi-Cal's provider enrollment system. QAS Providers may enroll as individuals or organizations.
2. Do QAS Professionals or QAS Paraprofessionals need to enroll?
No. However, QAS Providers and Community-Based Organizations (CBO) will need to report QAS Providers, QAS Professionals, and QAS Paraprofessionals who work under their supervision and render BHT services to Medi-Cal members in either FFS or managed care as part of their enrollment.
Once a QAS Provider is enrolled, any changes to previously reported information are required to be reported to DHCS within 35 days of the change by submitting a supplemental application in the provider enrollment portal, in accordance with section 51000.40 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 22. These changes must be made in the portal; providers are not able to report changes by uploading an Excel or other type of document.
3. How would a QAS Provider enroll who employs QAS Professionals and QAS Paraprofessionals?
QAS provider organizations will not enroll as groups, but as a Healthcare Business. When beginning the application in the enrollment, select the “I am a Healthcare Business” option (do not select the options for Group or Mixed Group). The QAS provider organization will report information about the QAS providers, QAS professionals, and QAS paraprofessionals for whom they will bill for BHT within the Healthcare Business application. BCBAs will not submit separate applications and will not individually enroll. For more information, please see Question #10 under the Provider Enrollment section of the Questions and Answers webpage.
4. Do QAS Providers who are licensed providers need to enroll or submit a supplemental enrollment application to bill for BHT services?
No. DHCS implemented system edits to enable physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to bill for BHT services provided on or after July 1, 2025, to Medi-Cal FFS members, without taking additional action.
5. Do I need to report QAS providers, QAS professionals, and QAS paraprofessionals in the online enrollment portal?
Yes. Enrolled QAS providers and CBOs will need to report QAS providers, QAS professionals, and QAS paraprofessionals in the online enrollment portal. The requirement applies to providers serving Medi-Cal members in FFS and managed care.
Enrolled providers must also attest that all QAS providers, QAS professionals, and QAS paraprofessionals for whom they will bill for services rendered to Medi-Cal members meet the qualifications and follow supervision requirements listed in accordance with the State Plan. The QAS provider applicant or CBO must report the NPI, first and last name, and any applicable professional license number or certification number or registration number of the individuals providing behavioral health treatment services. These individuals are not required to separately enroll.
6. Do I still need to enroll if I only intend to provide BHT services to Medi-Cal FFS members with a managed care plan (MCP)?
Yes. Once this enrollment pathway was established, all QAS providers must enroll even if they only intend on continuing to contract with MCPs and will not provide BHT services to Medi-Cal FFS members. Please refer to the All Plan Letter 22-013 and APL 22-013 Frequently Asked Questions for more information about Medi-Cal Managed Care Screening and Enrollment Requirements. 7. What if I am a BCBA who works out of my home and do not have an established place of business (EPOB)?
Medi-Cal policy currently requires that QAS Providers to have an EPOB, in compliance with section 51000.60 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. However, DHCS intends to publish a regulatory bulletin later in 2025 to waive this requirement for individual BCBAs who work out of their home and do not have an EPOB where they see Medi-Cal members. Individual BCBAs who are contracted with a Medi-Cal MCP and do not have an EPOB do not currently need to enroll. However, once DHCS publishes the new regulatory bulletin later this year to waive the EPOB requirement, individual BCBAs would then need to enroll as well.
8. Do I need a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number to enroll?
9. Can a CBO bill for BHT services?
Yes. A CBO may enroll and bill for BHT services provided to Medi-Cal FFS members on or after July 1, 2025. CBOs that have previously enrolled can submit a supplemental application to the provider enrollment system to allow them to bill for BHT services.
10. Is there any assistance to help me enroll?
