Alpaca Health vs Hi-5 ABA
Hi-5 ABA is an ABA franchise built for BCBAs. Alpaca Health helps BCBAs start their own practice without a franchise. If you are pricing ABA franchise alternatives, or working out which route fits, these are the differences that matter.
Alpaca Health and Hi-5 ABA compared
| Compared on | Alpaca Health | Hi-5 ABA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Alpaca Health$0 | Hi-5 ABA$50,000 to $72,000 fee |
| Revenue share | Alpaca HealthShared on your first call | Hi-5 ABAFranchise fee plus royalties |
| When you get paid | Alpaca HealthEvery 2 weeks, guaranteed | Hi-5 ABAHi-5 ABA files and collects |
| How long credentialing takes | Alpaca HealthUnder existing contracts | Hi-5 ABAHi-5 ABA runs the process |
| Who sources your clients | Alpaca HealthShared, referrals stay yours | Hi-5 ABANational marketing plus your outreach |
| Who sources your RBTs | Alpaca HealthYou hire, Alpaca Health runs payroll | Hi-5 ABAHi-5 ABA assists with recruiting |
| Clinical software | Alpaca HealthBuilt in house | Hi-5 ABANot specified |
| Who owns the practice | Alpaca HealthYou do | Hi-5 ABAYou do, under their brand |
| States covered | Alpaca HealthTexas, Colorado, North Carolina, Hawaii, Michigan | Hi-5 ABA21 locations listed |
What it costs and what you keep
Hi-5 ABA publishes an initial franchise fee. Alpaca Health charges nothing to launch and takes a share of revenue once you are billing.
How long credentialing takes
Credentialing is the gap between leaving a salary and billing your first session.
Alpaca Health
You are credentialed under existing group contracts, including Medicaid, so you join contracts that already exist instead of applying for your own.
Hi-5 ABA
Hi-5 ABA runs the credentialing process for its franchisees and handles the payer relationship.
When you get paid
Payment timing sets how long a new practice has to cover payroll out of its own pocket.
Every two weeks, guaranteed
Alpaca Health pays on a fixed two-week cycle rather than when the insurer settles.
Denials and clawbacks absorbed
They sit with Alpaca Health, not with your practice, so a rejected claim does not become a hole in your payroll.
How Hi-5 ABA handles it
Hi-5 ABA files claims and manages collections for franchisees, and your clinic receives what the payer settles. With Alpaca Health the cycle is fixed at two weeks either way.
Who brings you clients and staff
Both run national marketing. Local outreach is your clinic's work either way.
Where your clients come from
Hi-5 ABA franchisees market under the national brand and benefit from negotiated vendor rates and peer support.
Alpaca Health shares the work
Alpaca Health runs national marketing and press to bring in leads, and your practice does its own local outreach, so the referral relationships you build stay with you.
Who hires your RBTs
Hi-5 ABA assists franchisees with staff recruitment. With Alpaca Health your practice hires its own team and Alpaca Health runs the payroll.
What software you use
You will work in this software every day, and support comes from whoever builds it.
Alpaca Health builds its own
Scheduling, data collection, session notes, billing, intake and payroll run in one system built and maintained in house.
Hi-5 ABA does not name a platform
Their franchise pages describe manuals, templates and training materials rather than a named clinical system.
What happens if you leave or switch
Who holds your payer contracts differs, and it matters if you move on.
Who holds the payer contracts?
Hi-5 ABA obtains credentials on behalf of its franchisees. With Alpaca Health you join contracts that already exist and keep your own LLC throughout.
Whose brand is on the practice?
A franchise practice trades under the Hi-5 ABA name. With Alpaca Health your practice carries your own name.
Can you practise independently after?
You keep your own LLC and your own brand with Alpaca Health, so the practice remains yours.
Which states each company covers
Where a company is credentialed today decides where you can bill. Alpaca Health is credentialed in all five states below.
Alpaca Health covers five states
Hi-5 ABA lists 21 locations
Hi-5 ABA lists practice locations across 20 states and Washington DC. Their Franchise Disclosure Document is available in certain states only.
Why BCBAs choose Alpaca Health
You own the practice and the brand, and Alpaca Health takes no equity in it.
Paid every two weeks, guaranteed
Alpaca Health pays on a fixed cycle and absorbs denials and clawbacks, so a rejected claim never lands on your payroll.
No franchise fee, your own brand
You launch under your own name, keep your own LLC, and Alpaca Health takes no equity and charges nothing to start.
Credentialed under existing contracts
You join insurance contracts that already exist, including Medicaid, across all five states Alpaca Health operates in.
If you are weighing other alternatives or thinking about switching, Alpaca Health is also compared with Headstart Health, Finni Health, Tilly Therapy, Passage Health and Success On The Spectrum. Compare all major ABA platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hi-5 ABA take equity in my practice?
No. Hi-5 ABA says the practice is 100% owned and independently operated by the franchisee, and Alpaca Health takes no equity either. A franchise pays an initial fee and trades under the franchisor's brand. With Alpaca Health you launch under your own name, with no fee to start.
What does Hi-5 ABA charge?
Their FAQ gives an initial franchise fee of $50,000 to $72,000 and says it is not the only initial investment, with the rest in the Franchise Disclosure Document. Alpaca Health charges nothing to launch and takes a share of revenue once billing begins, and gives you its number directly on a first call so you can model your take-home pay.
What happens to my insurance contracts if I leave?
Hi-5 ABA obtains credentials for its franchisees, and Alpaca Health credentials you under contracts it already holds, which is what makes it fast. You keep your own LLC either way.
Do I have to use a particular clinical software?
Hi-5 ABA describes manuals, templates and training rather than a named clinical platform. Alpaca Health builds and maintains its own, so scheduling, notes, billing, intake and payroll sit in one system and support comes from the team that wrote it.
Which company operates in my state?
Hi-5 ABA lists practice locations across 20 states and Washington DC. Alpaca Health supports practices in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Hawaii and Michigan, and in those five you join insurance contracts that already exist there, including Medicaid.
Who brings in the clients?
Hi-5 ABA franchisees market under the national brand. Alpaca Health shares it, running national marketing and press while your practice does its own local outreach, which means the referral relationships you build stay with you.
How does Alpaca Health compare with other ABA platforms?
Alpaca Health is compared with Headstart Health, Finni Health, Tilly Therapy, Passage Health, Success On The Spectrum and Hi-5 ABA on the same points, so you can line them up side by side. Compare all major ABA platforms.
Start your own ABA practice with Alpaca Health
Alpaca Health sets up your legal entity, credentials you under existing insurance contracts including Medicaid, and runs billing, payroll and intake on software built in house. You own the practice and the brand, and Alpaca Health takes no equity.