Senators Pressure Pentagon to Make Autism Therapy a Standard TRICARE Benefit

Two U.S. senators are demanding the Pentagon's TRICARE program cover applied behavior analysis for autism as a standard benefit, not a restricted one.

TRICARE, the healthcare program covering millions of U.S. military members and their families, restricts access to applied behavior analysis (ABA) — a widely used autism therapy that most private insurers cover without similar limitations. That gap has pushed families like that of Kristi Cabiao into a prolonged fight to secure care that would be routine under civilian insurance plans. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter Friday to Pentagon leadership calling on the Department of Defense to reclassify ABA as a basic TRICARE benefit. The bipartisan letter signals growing congressional pressure on the military to bring its autism coverage in line with standard private insurance practices. Applied behavior analysis is a structured, evidence-based therapy designed to improve communication, social skills, and behavior in people with autism. While it has become a standard covered service under many commercial insurance plans across the country, TRICARE's restrictions limit how and when military families can access it — creating obstacles that advocates say disproportionately burden service members' families who move frequently and have limited ability to seek outside coverage.

Why it matters

Millions of military family members rely on TRICARE as their primary healthcare coverage, meaning restrictions on ABA therapy directly limit autism care options for a population that already faces unique challenges like frequent relocation. Reclassifying ABA as a basic benefit would affect access to care for autistic children and adults across the entire military community.

What's next

It is not yet known whether Pentagon leadership will respond to the senators' letter or take action to revise TRICARE's ABA coverage policy.

Key facts

• Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Eric Schmitt sent a joint letter to Pentagon leadership on Friday calling for the policy change
• The letter calls for applied behavior analysis (ABA) to be covered by TRICARE as a basic benefit, not a restricted one
• TRICARE is the U.S. military's healthcare program, serving active-duty service members, retirees, and their families
• ABA is an evidence-based therapy used to support people with autism in developing communication and behavioral skills
• Many private insurers already cover ABA without the restrictions TRICARE currently imposes
• Advocate Kristi Cabiao is among those pushing for the TRICARE policy to change

Bias & framing notes

Both sources are from NBC News, which limits independent corroboration. The second article frames the story around a personal advocacy narrative (Kristi Cabiao), while the first focuses on the legislative action — together they provide complementary angles but not independent sourcing. No outlets with differing perspectives or Pentagon responses were included.

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