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The CMS Health Plan is Molina now: what changed for ABA families since October 1, 2026, and what to check

Your child stayed on the CMS Health Plan; the company running it changed from Sunshine Health to Molina. What carried over, what did not, and the three things to verify so therapy does not pause.

October 6, 2026·2 min read·Beaton Care Services · Miami-Dade

On October 1, 2026, administration of Florida's CMS Health Plan moved from Sunshine Health to Molina Healthcare. For most families the change was paperwork, but ABA is authorized in six-month blocks with specific providers, so the months after a transition are exactly where a gap can open. Here is what actually changed, what did not, and what to check now.

What stayed the same

  • The plan itself. Your child is still a CMS Health Plan member. Eligibility, the benefit package and the Florida Medicaid ABA coverage rules did not change.
  • The clinical path. A comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, a physician referral, the Vineland-3 and BASC-3, a treatment plan, and authorizations reviewed every six months.
  • Your care coordinator model. CMS families still have care coordination; the people may be different, the role is not.

What changed

  • The administrator. Claims, authorizations and the provider network are Molina's. Anything sent to Sunshine for a CMS member after October 1 goes nowhere.
  • The ID card. Molina issued new cards. Providers bill against the new member ID, so make sure yours is on file with every clinic and therapist your child sees.
  • The network. Provider contracts did not transfer. A provider that served CMS members under Sunshine must hold its own Molina CMS contract to keep seeing your child after the continuity-of-care period. Beaton Care Services is contracted with Molina for the CMS Health Plan and the rest of Molina's Florida line.

Three things to verify this month

  1. Your authorization end date. Ask your provider for the exact date. Authorizations approved under Sunshine are honored during continuity of care, but the renewal must go to Molina, early. A renewal sent to the wrong plan is the most common reason therapy stops after a transition.
  2. Your provider's Molina CMS status, in writing. "We take Molina" can mean MMA only. Ask specifically about the CMS Health Plan contract.
  3. Your address and phone with the plan. Authorization letters and renewal notices go to the address on file; a missed letter is a missed deadline.

If your provider is not in Molina's CMS network

You can switch without losing hours. The new provider requests your child's records and current treatment plan and submits a transfer authorization to Molina. Done inside the continuity-of-care window, this is a hand-off, not a restart: no new diagnostic evaluation, and the existing goals carry forward until the next six-month review.

If your child is new to ABA

The path is the standard Florida Medicaid one. With the evaluation and referral in hand, our BCBA completes the assessment within about a week, submits the plan to Molina, and follows it until it is approved. Most families begin two to four weeks after approval.

Talk to a BCBA

Common questions

Did my child lose ABA hours when the plan moved to Molina?

Not if the authorization was honored during continuity of care and the provider is in Molina's CMS network. The two risks are an authorization that expired right around the transition without a renewal filed with Molina, and a provider without a Molina CMS contract. Both are fixable; call us and we check the dates.

Do I need to re-enroll or choose a new plan?

No. The CMS Health Plan is the same plan with a new administrator. Enrollment moved automatically. If you receive a letter asking you to choose a plan, call the plan line to confirm before acting.

Is Beaton Care in-network with Molina for the CMS Health Plan?

Yes, for the CMS Health Plan specifically, along with Molina's other Florida lines (MMA, MMA + Long-Term Care, Marketplace, Specialty) and Sunshine Health MMA.

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Keep reading

How ABA authorization works under Florida's CMS Health Plan, step by step

From the diagnostic evaluation to the first session: every document, who sends it, and how long each step usually takes for a child on the Children's Medical Services plan.

Can my child keep the same ABA provider under the CMS Health Plan? Continuity of care, explained

What "continuity of care" means when a plan changes administrators, how long it lasts, and the questions to ask so your child's therapy does not pause.

CMS Health Plan Under Molina (Since Oct 1, 2026): What Changed for ABA | cmsabatherapy.com