[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-316435-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-316435-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","autism-doc-guidelines-qa-november-18-2025","Autism Doc Guidelines Q&A - November 18, 2025","","Answers to questions raised during or as a result of the November 18, 2025 “lunch & learn” webinar, covering ABA documentation and billing requirements. The guidance explains progress note timing limits based on 15-minute intervals and 10-unit maximums per note for CPT code *97153, and clarifies that the 2.5-hour limit is not a daily maximum. It also addresses signature responsibilities for BT/RBTs, LBA oversight, guardian report documentation, consecutive session signing, and where to locate Autism Services billing resources.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/autism-doc-guidelines-qa-november-18-2025/316435/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/autism-doc-guidelines-qa-november-18-2025/316435.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Marry","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Are ABA progress notes required to use full 15-minute intervals, and do services get billed using an eight-minute rule?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Yes. All ABA progress notes must be documented in 15-minute intervals with a maximum of 10 units (2.5 hours). Services are not billed using an eight-minute rule for ABA under this code.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Is 2.5 hours a daily maximum for *97153?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"No. 2.5 hours (10 units) is the maximum time covered for documentation within a single progress note. Daily total hours depend on medical necessity and authorization, and may require multiple progress notes in one day.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Who must sign progress notes when BT/RBTs participate in direct service and supervision or parent-training notes?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"If BT/RBTs participate in direct service, they need to sign the notes. The LBA who provides oversight must also sign, and supervision/protocol modification notes provided by an LBA must be signed by the LBA.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},316435,1790617013,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,100,105,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":106,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},5909892079670,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","In this document  \nProgress note requirement ........................................................................................................... 1  \nRegarding signatures ....................................................................................................................2  \nRegarding the requirement that the analyst must also sign the *97153 notes ..............................2  \nRegarding guardian reports on current status and updates on interval homework/practice .........3  \nRegarding back-to-back sessions due to the 2.5-hour limit on CPT codes ..................................3  \nThis document contains answers to questions that were asked during or as a result of the November 18, 2025, lunch & learn webinar.  \nProgress note requirement  \nRegarding the requirement “each progress note is limited to two hours and  \nthirty minutes (2:30) elapsed time duration” due to the 15-minute interval structure:  \nQ1 . Does this mean all progress notes must now use full 15-minute intervals or are services still billed according to the eight-minute rule?  \nA. Yes, all progress notes for ABA must be documented in 15-minute intervals at a max of 10 units (2 .5 hours) . Services are not billed for ABA using an eight-minute rule. The 50% rule does not apply to this code.  \nQ2 . Is 2.5 hours the daily maximum for *97153?  \nA. No, it only relates to the maximum time that can be covered by the documentation of one progress note of 10 units of ABA (2 .5 hours) .  \nQ3 . Can a client receive more than 2.5 hours of *97153 in a single day if the same provider begins a new note or if a different provider steps in after the first 2.5 hours (creating a separate progress note)?  \nA. 2.5 hours is NOT a daily maximum of ABA (*97153) treatment hours per day. 2.5 hours (10 units) is the max for documenting each progress note for ABA. This guideline is not limited to requiring a different provider to “step in” and do more ABA. ABA“total”hours per day are guided by what has met medical necessity and been authorized by Blue Cross Behavioral Health (e.g. 25 hours per week; member comes to center five days = five hours per day) . This would require two progress notes each day for ABA for five hours total.  \nRegarding signatures  \nQ4 . Can you confirm whether the BT/RBTs signature is required on parent-training and supervision notes?  \nA. If they participate in providing direct service, yes.  \nQ5 . If so, could you clarify the reason for this requirement?  \nA. Standard clinical practice. The person providing the direct care needs to be identified. Documentation also needs to be signed by the LBA as the supervising/billing practitioner who is taking full responsibility for the actions and interventions of the person they are supervising. Supervision/protocol modification notes provided by an LBA must be signed by the LBA. If an LBA is providing caregiver training, the RBT is not required to attend. However, if they do attend and participate, the RBT and LBA must both sign.  \nRegarding the requirement that the analyst must also sign the *97153 notes  \nQ6 . If the LBA on the case is on PTO, can a different LBA review and sign the note, or does it need to wait for the supervising analyst assigned to the case to return?  \nA. The LBA that is actually providing the oversight and taking full responsibility for the care of that child at the time needs to sign the document.  \nRegarding guardian reports on current status and updateson interval homework/practice  \nQ7 . If the client is transported by the company van or school bus, is it appropriate to document that no caregiver report was obtained due to the client arriving by school bus/transport van?  \nA. No, it is important to document what happened during the interval since last seen by the provider. A note from the parent identifying any new interaction that resulted in a positive/negative behavioral change would be an example.  \nRegarding back-to-back sessions due to the 2.5-hour limit on CPT cod","cbCain8RKjKulBey","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCain8RKjKulBey","pdf",353192,13,"English","# Progress note requirement\n## Regarding signatures\n## Regarding the requirement that the analyst must also sign the *97153 notes\n## Regarding guardian reports on current status and updates on interval homework/practice\n## Regarding back-to-back sessions due to the 2.5-hour limit on CPT codes","[{\"question\":\"Are ABA progress notes required to use full 15-minute intervals, and do services get billed using an eight-minute rule?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. All ABA progress notes must be documented in 15-minute intervals with a maximum of 10 units (2.5 hours). Services are not billed using an eight-minute rule for ABA under this code.\"},{\"question\":\"Is 2.5 hours a daily maximum for *97153?\",\"answer\":\"No. 2.5 hours (10 units) is the maximum time covered for documentation within a single progress note. Daily total hours depend on medical necessity and authorization, and may require multiple progress notes in one day.\"},{\"question\":\"Who must sign progress notes when BT/RBTs participate in direct service and supervision or parent-training notes?\",\"answer\":\"If BT/RBTs participate in direct service, they need to sign the notes. The LBA who provides oversight must also sign, and supervision/protocol modification notes provided by an LBA must be signed by the LBA.\"}]","Autism Doc Guidelines Q&A - November 18, 2025 | PDF",1789917001,33]