Senators call for the military healthcare program to cover autism therapy as a basic benefit

Cost of DenialSenators call for military healthcare program to cover autism therapy as a basic benefitA letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows an NBC News investigation into the military healthcare program’s restrictions on applied behavioral therapy. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleFamily fights for coverage of autism therapy03:41Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 26, 2026, 5:26 PM EDTBy Jason Kane, Erin McLaughlin and Lauren DunnLess than 24 hours after NBC News reported on members of the military and retirees facing roadblocks in getting coverage for critical therapies for children with autism, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., issued a letter Friday to Pentagon leadership calling for changes. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Gillibrand and Schmitt are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Defense Health Agency and TRICARE.The letter calls on Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth to get rid of rules in the TRICARE program that are causing parents to be denied some Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapies, that are typically covered by most private and public insurance. ABA therapy is used to help children communicate and learn daily life skills.In the NBC News report, the military’s healthcare program restricted coverage for the behavioral therapy for a 10-year-old boy with a severe form of autism. The boy, Logan Cabiao, who is nonverbal and needs round-the-clock supervision and care, gets TRICARE through his father, Mario Cabiao, a retired air force pilot. Logan had been receiving ABA therapy for several years, which had been “life-changing” for the family, his mother Kristi Cabiao said. But in 2021, TRICARE added new requirements for ABA coverage and significantly narrowed the range of services provided, along with roadblocks to access. Friday’s letter urged the Dept. of D...