Magellan Healthcare Value Based Model Shows Meaningful Outcomes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Model will define standards for ABA treatment

Magellan Healthcare, Inc., the behavioral health division of Magellan Health, Inc. , today announced improved and measurable outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through a first-to-market, value-based collaboration with Kyo Autism Therapy, LLC, a California-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) provider.

In October 2022, Magellan and Kyo launched their collaboration to drive meaningful and objectively measurable outcomes for children with ASD. The collaboration is based on Magellan’s value-based model intended to help providers deliver better care, resulting in improved outcomes for children with ASD and those who care for them.

Unlike psychotherapy and other behavioral health therapies, limited academic literature exists to support providers in effective ABA decision-making for treatment intensity and length of care. In addition, treatment plans are individualized and require extensive monitoring with heavy reliance on caregivers. This makes it difficult for families to gauge treatment effectiveness and contributes to the rising costs of mandated ASD treatment.

The Magellan model intends to define standards for ABA treatment and measure progress against them. The model focuses on treatment planning and care delivery to continuously improve care for children with ASD and to support families.

Magellan aggregated data and saw improvements in members’ Vineland-3™ Adaptive Behavior scores after the first six months of the model. Seventy-four percent of members improved on the Vineland Scores in at least one of the domains of communication, daily living skills and socialization.

The aggregation of data related to clinical outcomes is paramount to securing a value-based arrangement rooted in clinical progress. Data like these provide a foundation for measurement informed care, which is essential for value-based models. Further, these improvements reflect greater collaboration between those receiving therapy, family members, the provider, payers and others who are able to provide impactful services.

This approach may result in measurable improvements not only in behaviors, but also in specific medical health conditions the individual may have, resulting in quality-of-life improvements. Additionally, caregivers may also experience relevant improvements based on other metrics such as the Parental Stress Scale, as 46% report they need help managing emotional and physical stress.

“With Kyo, we have jointly improved the quality of life for individuals accessing ABA and their families. We can more effectively identify the trajectory of the clinical pathway to ensure the individual receiving ABA therapy receives the right level of service,” said Yagnesh Vadgama, BCBA, vice president, clinical care services for autism, Magellan Healthcare. “These findings will help to establish benchmarks and evidence-based practices that will drive outcomes-based programs creating a model we can follow and implement across the ABA industry.”

Magellan manages ABA services through Magellan Autism Connections®, a first-to-market and one-of-a-kind solution that offers individualized care planning to optimize treatment and services. Enhanced care coordination ensures goals are met, with services that include intensive support to caregivers. Magellan Autism Connections includes a fully vetted and credentialed provider network, of which Kyo is a member.

“In partnership with Magellan, Kyo launched ABA Optimized a year ago as our flagship treatment model for people with autism,” said Colin Davitian, CEO of Kyo. “ABA Optimized enhances clinical outcomes by innovating autism treatment in the areas of staffing, incentives and program design. We're proud of the industry-leading outcomes ABA Optimized has achieved for people with autism and their families. We are excited to continue growing the program to serve more clients.”

"Reimbursing providers, as in this case with Kyo, for delivering measurable member outcomes is a core pillar of Magellan's network strategy,” said Tim Daley, senior vice president, national network development, Magellan Healthcare. “Magellan has significantly invested in its analytics capabilities to align provider pay with improved quality, ensuring members have access to high-performing care, especially in the areas of autism spectrum disorder and behavioral healthcare."

Autism Documentary

Magellan Healthcare and Kyo Autism Therapy are featured in an episode of Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid. The segment includes interviews with Yagnesh Vadgama, BCBA, vice president, clinical care services for autism, Magellan Healthcare, and Melissa Willa, co-founder and chief clinical officer, Kyo, who hold an in-depth discussion on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and showcase Magellan Autism Connections. The Magellan and Kyo segment on Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid is being distributed to public television stations across the country.

About Magellan Health: Magellan Health, Inc. supports innovative ways of accessing better health through technology, while remaining focused on the critical personal relationships that are necessary to achieve a healthy, vibrant life. Magellan's customers include health plans and other managed care organizations, employers, labor unions, various military and governmental agencies and third-party administrators. For more information, visit MagellanHealth.com.

About Kyo: Kyo Autism Therapy, LLC is a leader in behavior therapy for individuals with autism. With its staff of highly-educated, expertly trained professionals, Kyo works to advance the lives of individuals and families with autism and other special needs through compassionate, evidence-based treatment. Since being founded in 2005, Kyo has expanded from its San Francisco base to serve families across California and the U.S. For more information about Kyo, its programs, and approach, please visit kyocare.com.

About Viewpoint: The Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid show is a Telly award-winning documentary series. Viewpoint is distributed explicitly across public television stations nationwide. Producers, writers, and editors tie together each episode, using their collective decades of experience working in educational TV.

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