Florida Medicaid bills behavior analysis in 15-minute units. Section 8.2 of the Behavior Analysis Services Coverage Policy says providers may only claim services performed for 8 minutes or more: divide total minutes by 15, count a remainder of 8 or more minutes as one more unit, and drop a remainder under 8. This calculator applies that rule. It runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.
Minutes → units
Start / end → units
Units → hours
Worked examples
| Minutes | Full units | Remainder | Billable units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 (under 8 minutes) |
| 8 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 22 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 52 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 53 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 173 (9:00–11:53) | 11 | 8 | 12 |
Why units must match the note
Florida's session note requirements (coverage policy section 6.2.4) include the date, time, location and duration of services. When an auditor recomputes units from the documented start and end times and gets a different number than the claim, that difference is a finding. Check out the session note requirements and the Florida Medicaid ABA billing guidelines.
Tip. Compute units from the documented start and stop times, so the claim always matches the note.
FAQ
How many minutes is one ABA unit?
Most ABA CPT codes (97151 to 97158) are reported in 15-minute units. Florida Medicaid's Behavior Analysis Fee Schedule prices every BA code per 15 minutes.
What is the 8-minute rule for ABA units?
Florida Medicaid's Behavior Analysis Services Coverage Policy (section 8.2) says to divide total minutes by 15; a remainder of 8 minutes or more counts as one unit, and a remainder under 8 does not. Services under 8 minutes are not billable.
How many hours is 160 units?
160 units × 15 minutes = 2,400 minutes, or 40 hours.
Do all payers use the 8-minute rule for ABA?
No. This calculator applies the Florida Medicaid rule. Other payers may round differently, so check the payer's billing manual.
Watch out. This calculator applies the Florida Medicaid rule. Other payers may round differently.
Sources
- AHCA, Florida Medicaid Behavior Analysis Services Coverage Policy, section 8.2
- AHCA, Behavior Analysis Fee Schedule, January 1, 2025
Last reviewed October 2026. This page summarizes public rules and vendor pages for education; it is not legal or billing advice. Payer contracts and plan manuals can add requirements, so confirm with the payer.
Stop denials where they start.
Most of what payers reject was visible in the note. Let us show you on your own claims.