State guide

Mississippi

Programs, dollars, and people that serve autism families in Mississippi. Federal protections always apply on top of what you see here.

Mississippi overview

Mississippi's Department of Mental Health Division of Intellectual Disabilities (DMID) administers Medicaid HCBS waiver services. Mississippi's waiver waitlists are long — apply as early as possible. For early intervention, contact First Steps Mississippi. MPACT (Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center) provides free IEP and special education support. Mississippi has fewer urban autism-specific clinical resources than many states — the University of Mississippi Medical Center is the primary academic center, and telehealth has expanded access in rural areas. The Autism Society of Mississippi provides community connection.

Verify program names, URLs, and eligibility on official .gov sites — these change.

⏰ Act now — Medicaid waiver waitlist

Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Waiver

Typical wait: Years, with roughly 2,500 waiting — crisis cases are prioritized

Call the DMH Bureau of IDD on 877-210-8513 or your regional center. Get your application date confirmed in writing — it is the thing you will need to prove later.

Apply or learn more →Compare all 50 states

Statewide resources

These four programs exist in every state and are the fastest entry points for most families.

State Autism Organization

Autism Society of Mississippi

State-level autism advocacy, family support, and community connection.

Insurance Coverage

Whether private insurance must cover autism treatment in Mississippi.

Mississippi requires insurance to cover autism treatment

Miss. Code Ann. § 83-9-26 · enacted 2015

Ages:
This is the most restrictive ABA rule we have found in any state: the Insurance Department states that ABA therapy is only REQUIRED for individuals under the age of 8. Ask anyway — several major Mississippi insurers have voluntarily waived that limit, so being over eight does not necessarily mean being refused.
Limits:
No dollar cap stated. Hours are limited instead: ABA is capped at 25 hours a week, of which no more than 10 hours a week may be services from a licensed behavior analyst. Cost sharing may not exceed what the plan applies to other physical health services.

Self-funded employer plans (ERISA) are typically exempt — ask your HR department which type of plan you have.

How to use it, and how to appeal a denial →

Medicaid Waiver

Home and community-based services (HCBS) for autism families in Mississippi.

Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Waiver

Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Bureau of IDD, with the Division of Medicaid, through regional IDD programs

Mississippians of any age with autism, an intellectual disability or a developmental disability who meet ICF/IID level of care.

How autism qualifies

Autism is explicitly named in the waiver's target population, and there is no lower age limit — the program serves from birth.

Age rules

No minimum age; serves children and adults.

What it can pay for

  • Support coordination
  • In-home and community respite
  • Home and community supports
  • Behaviour support services
  • Therapy services
  • Supported living and shared supported living
  • Host home
  • Day services and prevocational services
  • Supported employment and job discovery
  • Crisis intervention and crisis support
  • In-home nursing respite
  • Specialized medical supplies
  • Transition assistance

How the waiting list is ordered

Around 2,496 Mississippians with developmental disabilities are on the waiting list, and crisis situations are prioritized over queue position. Two things follow. First, because crisis moves you, it is worth knowing in advance what the state counts as a crisis rather than discovering the definition during one. Second, and this is the reason Mississippi's own guidance stresses it: confirm your application date in writing. In a system where date matters for everyone who is not in crisis, an unrecorded or disputed application date is the single most damaging administrative error a family can suffer, and it is entirely preventable with one email asking for written confirmation.

How to apply

Contact your local Department of Mental Health regional center, or call the Bureau of IDD on 877-210-8513, and schedule an evaluation at your regional IDD program. If found eligible you are assigned a targeted case manager. Ask for written confirmation of your application date.

877-210-8513Full Mississippi waiver detail and sources →

Verified August 2026 against 3 official sources.

Medicaid Managed Care

How Medicaid pays for ABA therapy in Mississippi.

Mississippi Medicaid (MississippiCAN managed care; CHIP)

ABA covered: Under 21

Federal Medicaid rules (EPSDT) require medically necessary treatment, including ABA, for enrollees under 21 in every state. We did not find Mississippi publishing its own ABA policy, so ask your plan what it covers beyond that.

Find or choose your plan

Mississippi Division of Medicaid (open enrollment forms and language help)

(800) 421-2408Official page →

Plans in this state

  • Magnolia Health
  • Molina Healthcare of Mississippi
  • Mississippi TrueCare
Mississippi's official plan list →

MississippiCAN is statewide, but some members are required to join one of the three plans while others may choose a plan or stay in regular fee-for-service Medicaid. Open enrollment to switch plans runs October 1 to December 15 each year; call the Division of Medicaid to get a paper form.

Checked against 3 official sources, September 2026. Plans change when states rebid contracts, so confirm with the state.

Mississippi guides

Deeper guides where the facts are genuinely specific to Mississippi.

Financial help for autism in Mississippi

SSI, Medicaid, the waiver and what insurers must cover — and which to apply for first.

Autism evaluation in Mississippi

The two free routes, the deadlines they run against, and verified diagnostic providers.

ABA therapy in Mississippi

Verified providers, what the state mandate covers, and the questions to ask.

Mississippi insurance mandate

The statute, the caps, and how to complain when a plan ignores it.

Legal & advocacy

  • Disability Rights Mississippi

By county

82 counties