What an Autism Evaluation Costs in Colorado
Colorado families pay for an autism evaluation one of three ways: Health First Colorado, private insurance, or out of pocket. Practices that publish their prices list roughly $500 to $2,970. Two free routes also exist, and most parents never hear about them.
Budding Futures ABA doesn't perform autism evaluations. We start in-home ABA therapy after a child is diagnosed, so we have nothing to sell you on this page.
Health First Colorado, private insurance, or self-pay, plus two free routes that cost nothing.
The three ways Colorado families pay
Cost depends far less on where you live than on which door you walk through. A family on Health First Colorado and a family paying cash can sit in the same waiting room and be charged amounts that aren't close to each other.
| Route | Typical cost to the family | What it gets you | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health First Colorado (Medicaid) | Usually $0 | A medical diagnosis from an enrolled provider | Fewer enrolled evaluators, so waits are longer |
| Private insurance | Deductible and coinsurance until your out-of-pocket maximum | A medical diagnosis, widest choice of evaluators | Plans differ on what they count as testing |
| Self-pay | About $500 to $2,970 at Colorado practices that publish prices | The fastest route, and you choose the evaluator | Nothing is reimbursed unless you file it yourself |
| Child Find, age 3 and up | Free | Educational eligibility through your school district | Not a medical diagnosis |
| Early Intervention Colorado, birth to 3 | Free evaluation | Eligibility for early intervention services | Ends at age 3 |
The last two rows are the ones parents miss. They cost nothing and they can start this week. If you have not chosen an evaluator yet, our guide to autism testing for kids in Colorado covers where to go by age.
Health First Colorado coverage rules
Health First Colorado is Colorado's Medicaid program, and for children it generally covers autism diagnostic evaluation and the therapy that follows at no cost to the family.
One rule surprises almost everyone, and it's worth reading twice. Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing states plainly that a child doesn't need an autism diagnosis to get behavioral therapy:
"Does my child have to have a diagnosis of Autism to qualify for the services? No. Behavioral therapy is available to all children currently eligible for Health First Colorado when the service is medically necessary."
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Pediatric Behavioral Therapies
That applies to Health First Colorado, not to commercial plans. Most private insurers still want a diagnosis on file before they authorize therapy. If your child is on Medicaid and you're stuck waiting months for an evaluation, ask your provider about medical necessity rather than assuming therapy is blocked.
Coverage for children runs through EPSDT, the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment benefit, which is why Medicaid coverage for under-21s is broader than many parents expect. Families who earn too much for Health First Colorado may still qualify through the Children's Buy-In Program, and some children access additional support through a Colorado waiver such as the Children's Extensive Support waiver.
Your Regional Accountable Entity
Health First Colorado runs behavioral health through Regional Accountable Entities. Your region decides which organization authorizes services and who you call when something stalls.
Check any advice you read against the date. Colorado replaced the old seven-region map on July 1, 2025, so guidance naming "RAE 5" or "RAE 7" is out of date. There are now four regions.
| Region | Organization | Counties | Member line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain Health Plans | Western Slope, Pueblo, San Luis Valley and mountain counties | (800) 421-6204 |
| 2 | Northeast Health Partners | Larimer, Weld, Elbert, Morgan, Logan and the northeast plains | (800) 541-6870 |
| 3 | Colorado Community Health Alliance | Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, Park, Teller | (855) 627-4685 |
| 4 | Colorado Access | Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas | (800) 511-5010 |
Denver families may also be enrolled with Elevate Medicaid Choice through Denver Health, reachable at (855) 281-2418. If you aren't sure which region you're in, the Health First Colorado member contact center is (800) 221-3943.
Prior authorization, denials and appeals
Behavioral therapy under Health First Colorado has to be authorized before it starts. Your provider assesses your child, writes a treatment plan, and submits a Prior Authorization Request.
- An approved request lasts up to six months, then a new one is required.
- Before a denial, the doctor who requested it gets a peer-to-peer review call, which is often where a denial gets reversed.
- If it's denied anyway, your provider can ask for a reconsideration and submit documents that were missing the first time.
- You can appeal to the Office of Administrative Courts. Your letter has to arrive within 30 calendar days of the date on your denial notice.
The 30-day clock is the part families lose on. It runs from the date printed on the notice, not the day it reached your mailbox.
The two free evaluation routes
Colorado runs two publicly funded evaluation systems, split by age, and neither one charges families.
Birth to age 3 goes through Early Intervention Colorado. You can refer your own child.
Age 3 and up goes through Child Find, run by your school district or its Board of Cooperative Educational Services. The state education department puts it plainly: "Child Find is provided at no cost to families." Anyone who is worried about a child can make a referral, and you do not need a doctor to send you.
Here is the distinction that trips people up, and it matters for money. Child Find decides whether your child qualifies for special education services at school. That's educational eligibility, not a medical diagnosis. A child can qualify at school and still not have the diagnosis a private insurer wants before it authorizes therapy. Many Colorado families end up needing both, and the free one can start while you wait for the medical one.
Published Colorado self-pay prices
Most practices won't put a number on their website. A few do, and they show how differently the same service gets priced.
- Colorado Center for Assessment in Fort Collins prices autism assessment as a package at $1,920 to $2,970, works with Medicaid and major insurers, and states that its schedule is running 8 to 12 months out.
- Hourly billing is the other model. Dandelion Psychology in Arvada, which offers psychological testing rather than autism-specific diagnosis, publishes a $170 hourly rate with total testing fees from $500 to $2,500. That spread is typical of hourly practices, and it's why an hourly quote isn't comparable to a package price.
Prices and waits move, so treat these as a snapshot verified on August 4, 2026 rather than a quote. When you call, ask what the fee covers. Some practices price the whole evaluation, others bill per hour and the total depends on how many tools they use and whether report writing is billed separately.
On private insurance, ask two specific questions: whether the evaluation is billed as testing or as an office visit, and whether the evaluator is in network. Those two answers usually explain the whole bill.
What happens after a diagnosis
A diagnostic report is the document that unlocks services. Once it exists, most Colorado families move to applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or a combination, and the report is what an insurer reads when it authorizes hours.
Budding Futures ABA is enrolled with Health First Colorado under Provider Types 83 and 84, and delivers ABA therapy in the family's home and inside school settings across Colorado. Rachel Blackburn, BCBA, is the clinical director who reviews each plan.
If you're still waiting on an evaluation, you don't have to sit idle. We can look at your coverage and tell you what your plan is likely to authorize once a report exists, so the paperwork isn't starting from zero on the day it arrives.
For the full picture of the first month, read our guide to what to do after an autism diagnosis in Colorado. For coverage detail, see ABA therapy and Health First Colorado.
Questions Colorado parents ask
Does Medicaid cover autism testing in Colorado?
How much does autism testing cost without insurance in Colorado?
Can I get a free autism evaluation in Colorado?
Will an online autism diagnosis be accepted for therapy in Colorado?
How long is the wait for an autism evaluation in Colorado?
Sources
Verified August 4, 2026. Costs, waits and coverage rules change, so confirm anything that affects a decision directly with the provider or your plan.
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Pediatric Behavioral Therapies: coverage, prior authorization, appeals, and the medical-necessity rule.
- HCPF, Accountable Care Collaborative Phase III: the four Regional Accountable Entities effective July 1, 2025.
- Colorado Community Health Alliance and Northeast Health Partners: county coverage by region.
- Colorado Department of Education, Child Find: free evaluation from age 3.
- Colorado Center for Assessment and Dandelion Psychology: published Colorado prices and waits.
Waiting on an evaluation? Let's get the coverage part done now.
We can check what your Medicaid or private plan is likely to authorize for ABA, so the paperwork is not starting from zero the day the report arrives.