EIDBI Services in Minnesota
Key takeaways
- EIDBI is a Minnesota Medicaid benefit, not a type of therapy. It pays for intensive therapy, including ABA, for qualifying children.
- For most Medical Assistance families, EIDBI-covered services come at no cost.
- A CMDE (Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation) is required before therapy can be authorized.
- The benefit covers the evaluation, the Individual Treatment Plan (ITP), the therapy hours, and parent training.
- Neurolink Academy is a DHS-enrolled EIDBI provider serving children ages 2 to 10 at our Brooklyn Park clinic.
What the EIDBI benefit is, in plain language
EIDBI stands for Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention. It is not a type of therapy. It is a Minnesota Medicaid benefit, created by the state legislature, that pays for intensive therapy (including ABA) for qualifying children and young adults with autism or related conditions.
The benefit is administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). It exists so that a family’s income or insurance plan is never the reason a child misses out on early, intensive support. If your child is on Medical Assistance, EIDBI is very likely how their therapy will be funded.
Source: MN DHS EIDBI benefit overview and Minnesota Statutes §256B.0949.
One benefit, the whole therapy journey
EIDBI covers the evaluation that establishes eligibility, the written treatment plan, the intensive therapy hours, and training for parents and caregivers. The same benefit follows your child from the first appointment onward.
Who is eligible for EIDBI
Eligibility is set by the state, not by individual providers. Your child can qualify whether their Medical Assistance comes straight through the state or through a health plan. The checklist covers the four requirements; the CMDE is the step most families have not heard of yet.
A CMDE is a structured evaluation by a qualified clinician that confirms your child’s diagnosis and documents why treatment is medically necessary. We do not perform CMDEs at Neurolink Academy; we refer families out and help coordinate. Our CMDE guide for Minnesota parents explains the whole process.
One important distinction: being eligible for the EIDBI benefit and being covered at Neurolink Academy are two separate questions. The state decides benefit eligibility. The Medical Assistance plans we accept are Straight MA, HealthPartners PMAP, Blue Cross Blue Shield PMAP, and MA TEFRA; see the insurance plans we accept, or send us the plan name and we will check for you.
- Has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a related condition
- Has a CMDE (Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation) establishing that treatment is medically necessary
- Is enrolled in Medical Assistance (MA), Minnesota's Medicaid program
- Is under 21 years old; Neurolink Academy serves children ages 2 to 10
What EIDBI covers
The benefit follows your child through the full arc of treatment. Intensity is individualized: most children attend 20 to 40 hours per week, set by their ITP and authorization.
One-on-one intensive therapy
Individual ABA sessions delivered by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) under BCBA supervision, typically 20 to 40 hours per week.
Family and caregiver training
Coaching sessions that teach you the same strategies your child’s team uses, so progress carries into your home.
The CMDE itself
EIDBI pays for the Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation that establishes eligibility, so the entry step is covered too.
The Individual Treatment Plan
Development and ongoing review of your child’s ITP, the written plan that sets goals and the number of therapy hours.
All covered sessions at Neurolink Academy take place at our Brooklyn Park clinic, where your child gets a consistent team and a structured, predictable environment.
How many hours of ABA does EIDBI fund?
Most children in intensive EIDBI-funded programs attend 20 to 40 hours of therapy per week. That number is not picked from a menu; it comes from two documents working together. The Individual Treatment Plan (ITP) your child's BCBA writes recommends the hours your child needs, and the authorization from your child's plan approves them.
Hours are reviewed as your child progresses. A 3-year-old building first words and an 8-year-old preparing for a classroom need different schedules, and the ITP is updated to match. For young children especially, this is exactly the early, intensive support the benefit was designed to fund; our early intervention program is built around it.
- Typical range
- 20–40 hours per week
- Who sets it
- Your child’s BCBA, in the ITP
- Who approves it
- Your child’s MA plan, via authorization
- How often it changes
- Reviewed as your child progresses
A DHS-enrolled EIDBI provider
Neurolink Academy is enrolled with the Minnesota Department of Human Services as an EIDBI provider, and every treatment plan is designed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Your child’s EIDBI benefit is in qualified hands.
What to expect, from first call to first session
Starting EIDBI has a defined sequence, and you do not have to manage it alone. You bring the questions; we handle the eligibility work. There is no fixed timeline (CMDE scheduling and authorization processing vary), but every step below is one we track with you.
Contact our intake team
Five minutes by form or phone — no diagnosis paperwork needed to start. To check eligibility, we’ll need your child’s name, date of birth, and insurance card.
We verify your coverage
We confirm your child’s Medical Assistance plan on our end, usually within one business day — you do not need to call your insurance. A short intake meeting, in person or by video, covers paperwork, our policies, and a release of information so we can collect records and coordinate with schools or other providers.
The CMDE establishes eligibility
If your child does not have a current CMDE, we point you to qualified evaluators and help you gather the documents that support it — medical records, IEPs or school assessments, and prior evaluations. If they do, this step is already done.
Authorization is approved
The CMDE and treatment recommendation go to your child’s plan for authorization. We handle the provider-side paperwork and track it with you.
Your BCBA builds the plan
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst meets your child and family — in person or by video, depending on scheduling — then writes the Individual Treatment Plan: goals, strategies, and weekly hours.
Therapy begins in Brooklyn Park
Sessions start at our clinic on a schedule matched to your child’s ITP, delivered by a trained behavior technician and supervised by a BCBA on a secure clinical platform. Progress is reviewed with you from week one.
EIDBI questions, answered
What Minnesota parents ask most about eligibility, cost, and timing.
Still unsure about your child’s situation? Ask our intake team; we respond within one business day.
A child or young adult under 21 who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a related condition, is enrolled in Medical Assistance or another qualifying Minnesota Health Care Program, and has a CMDE showing that treatment is medically necessary. Neurolink Academy serves children ages 2 to 10.
Yes. ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is one of the treatment approaches covered under the EIDBI benefit. EIDBI funds the intensive one-on-one therapy hours, family training, the evaluation, and the treatment plan.
For most families, nothing. EIDBI is covered through Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program), which pays for covered services for eligible children without a cost to the family. Our intake team confirms your child’s specific coverage before therapy begins.
Yes. The CMDE (Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation) is required to establish EIDBI eligibility. We do not perform the CMDE, but we help you understand the process and point you to qualified evaluators. You can contact us before your child has one.
It depends on two things: how soon your child can get a CMDE appointment and how quickly the authorization is processed afterward. There is no fixed timeline, but our team tracks each step with you and handles the provider-side paperwork so nothing sits idle.
If the plan is HealthPartners PMAP or Blue Cross Blue Shield PMAP (Blue Plus), yes. PMAP means your child's Medical Assistance is delivered through a health plan, and the EIDBI benefit is the same. We also accept Straight MA and MA TEFRA. If your child has a different plan, contact us anyway and we will help you understand your options.
ITP stands for Individual Treatment Plan. It is the written plan a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) creates for your child after the CMDE: specific goals, the strategies the team will use, and the number of therapy hours per week. The ITP is what your child's EIDBI authorization is based on, and it is reviewed and updated as your child progresses.
Yes, and we encourage it. Most families contact us before the evaluation. We verify your child's coverage, explain the CMDE process, and point you toward qualified evaluators, so that when the evaluation is complete, therapy can start without delay.
Start your child’s intake today
Connect with our BCBA team. We confirm your EIDBI coverage and match your child with the right clinician. Intake takes about five minutes.
- BCBA-led from day one
- EIDBI · Medical Assistance covered
- Intake in about 5 minutes