Cortica - Scottsdale (formerly Melmed Center)

In most cases, yes. Cortica is in-network with many major health insurance plans, and our Scottsdale team verifies your coverage, checks eligibility and benefits, and handles authorizations directly with your insurer. Coverage can vary by plan type, home state, and which services your child receives.

Before care begins we provide a benefits check and a cost estimate, so you know what to expect. Self-pay options are available if your plan is not in-network.

Your child's care team recommends it, so you do not have to work it out alone. During the initial evaluation at our Scottsdale center, a Cortica pediatrician or neurologist assesses your child's strengths and areas of need, then recommends the combination of therapies that fits their goals.

That plan may include ABA therapy, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, medical care, or mental health counseling, and it is adjusted as your child progresses.

Start by scheduling a Welcome Visit with our Scottsdale, AZ center. It is a comprehensive consultation designed to give you clarity and direction from day one: our specialists listen to your child's story, complete a developmental and medical review, and send you away with a personalized roadmap for care.

We typically do not have a waitlist for welcome visits, medical visits, developmental therapy evaluations, or ABA assessments, so care can usually begin soon after.

No. Our Scottsdale center specializes in autism care, but we support a broad range of neurodiverse children and teens, including those with developmental delay, ADHD, epilepsy, genetic syndromes, and sensory processing differences.

Our pediatricians, neurologists, therapists, and counselors work together in one place, so children with more than one diagnosis can be cared for by a single coordinated team.

No. You do not need a diagnosis before coming to us. Cortica's pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, and nurse practitioners provide autism evaluations in-house at our Scottsdale center, often virtually during your Telehealth Welcome Visit, so there is no need to seek a diagnosis from another provider first.

It is worth knowing that insurers almost always require a formal autism diagnosis before they will cover ABA therapy. If your child does not have one yet, an evaluation is usually the first step.

Our Scottsdale, AZ center offers autism diagnostic evaluations, brain-based ABA therapy, the Jumpstart early intervention program for children five and under, developmental therapies including speech-language and occupational therapy, medical care, and mental health counseling.

Because these services share one location and one care team, your child's clinicians communicate regularly about their treatment plan rather than working in isolation.

Our Scottsdale, AZ center is in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Evernorth Behavioral Health, Mercy Care, United Healthcare, and Optum Behavioral Health.

Plan participation can change, and coverage varies by plan type and by the services your child receives. Our team verifies your specific benefits with your insurer before care begins, and self-pay options are available if your plan is not listed.

“Early Intervention” might be the provider’s way of describing services that they provide to babies or young children. However, it might also indicate that the provider is a vendor for your state’s publicly funded program. This means the services with this provider might be covered by your state! 

The first step in accessing these free services from your state is to get an evaluation. The evaluation will help the state determine what services your child qualifies for, if any. You can find your state’s local EI program by clicking here.