How to start an ABA practice in Kansas

Kansas requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst; Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst from Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) to operate an ABA practice. Fee: Set by board regulation (K.A.R. 102-8-2); not confirmed from an official page reachable here.

License required

Yes

License

Licensed Behavior Analyst; Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst

Issuing agency

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB)

Fee

Set by board regulation (K.A.R. 102-8-2); not confirmed from an official page reachable here.

Renewal

Every 2 years · Licenses expire 24 months after issuance (K.A.R. 102-8-7). Renewal fee amount not confirmed from an official page.

Professional license

board: Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; statute: K.S.A. 65-7501 to 65-7505 (Applied Behavior Analysis Licensure Act, L. 2014 ch. 62); K.A.R. 102-8; behavior analyst: Since July 1, 2016, ABA may be practiced only by licensed behavior analysts, supervised licensed assistants, supervised trainees gaining required field experience, or licensed psychologists (K.S.A. 65-7503(a)). A license requires meeting certifying-entity (BACB) requirements.; assistant behavior analyst: Separate license; must work under supervision of a licensed behavior analyst.; technician: The Act does not name a technician exemption. Its exemptions cover other board licensees within scope, IDEA and Section 504 services, students, HCBS Autism Waiver autism specialists and intensive individual service providers, OTs and SLPs. For the KDADS HCBS Autism Waiver, technicians may qualify through an RBT certificate, or with KDADS approval by being 18+ with a high school diploma and 40 hours of ABA training.; medicaid enrollment: KMAP enrolls HCBS Autism Waiver providers through the fiscal agent after the KDADS waiver program manager approves their credentials (BCBA, BCBA-D, BCaBA, or a master's-level alternative approved by KDADS). State-plan ABA enrollment details were not confirmed.

Regulation

K.S.A. 65-7501 et seq.; K.A.R. 102-8-2, 102-8-7

1. Meet the certification requirements of a certifying entity (BACB) — the board may not issue a license without proof (K.S.A. 65-7503(c))
2. Apply to the BSRB with the regulation-set fee
3. Assistants: practice under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst and document supervision at renewal
4. Renew every 24 months with continuing education reporting

Staffing

• Licensed assistant behavior analysts must work under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst

Program

Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP) / KanCare

Enrollment portal

KMAP provider portal (provider enrollment)

Fiscal agent

Gainwell Technologies (KMAP fiscal agent)

Application fee

Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.

Fingerprinting

KMAP's fingerprint FAQ says high-risk applicants may be printed by any authorized law enforcement agency, which mails the card to KDHE/DHCF in an envelope the provider supplies; the check takes about 5-10 business days. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.

Site visit

Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.

Revalidation

Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.

Full Kansas Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

No

Kansas certificate of need details →

State minimum wage

$7.25 an hour

Effective

2009-07-24

Scheduled increases

No scheduled change found in the official sources reviewed.

HCBS 80/20 rule

Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.

Applied behavior analysis organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

103 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

393,912 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Kansas ABA Medicaid rates, ranked →

• Autism Waiver (1915(c))
• HCBS Brain Injury Waiver (1915(c))
• Community Support Waiver (1915(c))
• Home and Community Based Services for the Frail Elderly Waiver (1915(c))
• HCBS Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Waiver (1915(c))
• Physical Disability Waiver (1915(c))
• Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) Waiver (1915(c))
• Technology Assisted Waiver (1915(c))

Kansas waivers and waiting lists →