Should I tell my current provider before calling Hope Center?

You do not have to. Many families start our intake and benefits check first, then give notice once they know the timing. That helps avoid a gap. Give your current provider reasonable notice so they can prepare transition records.

Will my child keep the same number of hours?

Not automatically. Our BCBA assesses your child and recommends hours in a new treatment plan, and your insurer decides what it authorizes. Your current provider's records help the BCBA understand your child's history and progress.

Switching ABA Providers to Hope Center: Step by Step

Q: Can my child see two ABA providers during the switch?

Some plans limit this. Cigna (Evernorth), for example, covers services from multiple ABA agencies in the same authorization period only under strict conditions. We check your plan's rules during the free benefits check, so ask us before overlapping services.

Changing ABA providers is a big decision, and families often worry about losing hours or starting over. If you are thinking about moving your child's ABA to Hope Center, this page walks through how the transfer works with us: what to request from your current provider, how our intake fits around it, why a new assessment and authorization are needed, and how you can meet your child's new team before the first session.

For general advice that applies to any switch, read how to switch ABA providers without losing your authorization. This page is about the Hope Center side.

Is there a waitlist to switch to Hope Center?

No. Hope Center has no waitlist at any of our locations. From first call to first session can take as little as three weeks when paperwork and the insurer move quickly. Slow documents or insurer requests can stretch it to four or five months or longer. Services usually begin 3 to 5 business days after insurance approves the new treatment plan.

Because of that, the usual advice is to keep your current services going until our plan is approved, unless there is a safety or quality reason to stop sooner. That keeps your child from a gap in care. Decide the timing of your notice with that in mind.

What are the steps to transfer to Hope Center?

Call us. Call 561-337-8865 or send the contact form. Tell us your child's insurance, diagnosis, location, current provider's schedule and how soon you want to switch.
Documents and intake. You return our initial documents and complete intake. Include the records from your current provider (see the list below).
Free benefits check. We verify your benefits, including whether your plan allows a change of provider mid-authorization and what it needs from us.
Parent questionnaires. You complete online questionnaires about your child.
New initial assessment. Once your insurer approves the assessment request, one of our BCBAs assesses your child at home or at a center. It takes 2 to 4 hours, in one or two sessions.
New treatment plan. The BCBA writes the plan, using your current provider's records where helpful. Our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance. This takes up to two weeks.
Signature and submission. You review and sign the plan, and we submit it to your insurer.
Approval and start. Once approved, services usually begin 3 to 5 business days later. You can meet your assigned staff first.

Does my child's current authorization transfer?

Usually not. Authorizations are generally issued to a specific provider for a specific treatment plan, so the new provider assesses your child and requests its own. Some plans also limit overlap. Cigna's (Evernorth) ABA policy, for example, covers services from more than one ABA agency in the same authorization period only under strict conditions. That is why we check your plan's rules at the benefits check.

Watch the gap. Under the same Evernorth policy, a break in treatment of more than 60 days requires a new standardized assessment. Continued authorization also requires current data collected within 60 days and a standardized assessment within the past year. Other plans set their own rules, so ask yours.

Which records should I request from my current provider?

The most recent treatment plan, with goals and progress
Recent progress reports and data summaries
Assessment results, including any standardized assessments and the date they were done
Any behavior intervention plan or safety plan
The current authorization letter from your insurer (dates and approved hours)
Your child's diagnostic report, if your current provider has the copy

Ask in writing, keep a copy, and note the date. In Florida, parents have the right to access and review all of their minor child's medical records, with narrow exceptions (Fla. Stat. 1014.04). For records held by a Department of Health-licensed practitioner, Florida law requires copies to be provided in a timely manner, and copies cannot be withheld because a bill is unpaid (Fla. Stat. 456.057). The BACB's Ethics Code also asks behavior analysts to manage transitions to another provider with a written plan and to minimize disruption (Code 3.16).

What will be different at Hope Center?

Every provider works a little differently. Here is how we run services, so you can compare:

Who does what. BCBAs write and review the plan. RBTs deliver sessions. BCBAs supervise RBTs weekly. Our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance.
Parents. Weekly parent training, where goals and plans are discussed. You can text or call the RBT, the BCBA or the front desk.
Approach. Trauma-informed, assent-based and play-based. We do not use restraint and use the least intrusive, safest strategies. See how we keep children safe without restraint.
Settings. Home, school, daycare, community, or our centers in West Palm Beach, Temple Terrace (Tampa), Port Charlotte, Jacksonville and Sebring.
Beyond sessions. Staff can join IEP meetings, doctor visits, haircuts and dental visits where allowed.
Languages. English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali and Russian.

Can I meet the new team before switching over?

Yes. You have the option to meet your child's assigned staff before services begin. Many families find this makes the change easier, for the child and for the parents. Tell the intake team you would like to, and see meeting your team before starting for questions to ask.

To help your child with the change, keep familiar comfort items and routines, use the same words for rewards and break requests that worked before, and tell the new team what your child loves.

Which plans does Hope Center work with?

We work with Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue), Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East (Humana Military). Optum: in network for mental health therapy; for ABA, call us for the current status before giving notice to your current provider. We do not accept Medicaid or Medicare. Self-pay is available for all services, with a sliding scale. See insurance at Hope Center.

Ready to talk about switching?

Start the benefits check now, while your current services continue. Request a free consultation and benefits check, call 561-337-8865 or email office@hopecenteraba.com. Our new families page explains each step in more detail.

This guide is general information for Florida families, not medical, legal or financial advice for your child. Laws, plan rules and program amounts change; check with your plan, the agency named, or a Florida attorney before you act.

Switching to Hope Center From Another ABA Provider: How the Transfer Works