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# Operator Spotlight: Cortica & the Push Towards Integrating Value-Based Care with ABA Therapy
- URL: https://www.missionviewpoint.com/cortica-amp-the-push-towards-integrating-value-based-care-with-aba-therapy/
- Published: 2025-03-27T19:58:02.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-14T15:30:54.000Z
- Author: Scott Dickson
- Tags: Topic: Value Based Care

## 🔦 **How ABA Providers are striving to deliver better Whole-Person Clinical Outcomes**

**Scaffolding Innovation in an Industry Still Catching Up**

At a recent Behavioral Health Business (BHB) webinar on Value-Based Care (VBC) hosted by Laura Lovett, Cortica CEO **Neil Hattangadi** offered a powerful look into what a more integrated, whole-child approach to autism care could look like.

Since its founding in 2014, Cortica has invested heavily in **clinical coordination, data infrastructure, and technology**—going as far as to scaffold together **two separate EMRs** to support its multidisciplinary care model. That’s no small feat, especially in an industry where most providers operate off of a single, often limited, EHR system.

The result? A platform that connects ABA, neurology, pediatrics, feeding therapy, parent training, and even tools like **Floreo VR**—all under one care model. **ABA is just one piece** of a broader treatment strategy aimed at long-term outcomes and whole-family support.

### 🤝 Now Partnering with Traditional ABA Providers

Cortica is now seeking to **extend that model through partnerships** with traditional ABA providers—helping those organizations move toward more holistic, outcomes-driven care without reinventing their operations from scratch. This signals a **strategic inflection point**, where tech-enabled integrated care may be delivered *in partnership*, not just internally.

### 📊 Navigating Payor Complexity

Despite all this progress, **VBC implementation remains a heavy lift**—even for well-resourced organizations. Hattangadi described the ongoing challenge of dealing with **siloed payor systems**, often requiring **multiple agreements with the same insurer** just to get VBC initiatives off the ground.

Notably, **ABA-specific outcome metrics are still lacking**—not because providers like Cortica aren’t measuring progress, but because **payors haven’t yet agreed on what matters most** or how to pay for it.

As a result, most value-based care arrangements rely on broader indicators—like avoiding hospitalizations or residential placements—rather than progress within ABA therapy itself.

This isn't unique to Cortica. A recent BHB survey of 108 behavioral health executives found:

- **65%** said none of their revenue comes from VBC.
- Only **5%** have more than half of their revenue tied to outcome-based contracts.
- Reimbursement reductions and administrative friction remain the top concerns across the board.

As BHB’s **Chris Larson** put it:

> *“The vibe on VBC = downtrodden… Providers haven’t seen their efforts acknowledged.”*

### 💡 ABA Mission Perspective

Cortica is a compelling example of what *might be possible* in autism care—if the payment infrastructure can catch up.

They’ve shown that:

- Building true care integration requires **deep investment and operational will**
- Partnerships between innovative and traditional providers could be the key to scale
- Even with insurer backing, **payor alignment takes time and persistence**

For ABA providers watching this space, the opportunity is to:

- Align internally on **measurable, cross-disciplinary outcomes**
- Get strategic about **data capture**, even without formal VBC contracts
- Engage payors early—not just with metrics, but with a **narrative that connects outcomes to cost savings**