Yagnesh Vadgama is an established expert in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Managed Care. Yagnesh has been with Magellan for nine years, managed care for nine years, and was a practicing clinician in the field of ABA for 11 years prior. Yagnesh has 21 years of experience in ABA, starting off by working directly with individuals on the autism spectrum to directing programs in homes, schools, and community-based settings, ultimately receiving his BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst).

Yagnesh just wrapped up a 10 year run at Magellan health, where he was president and chief operating officer of their California companies, Yagnesh served as the liaison between operational, network and clinical leaders who served Magellan’s California clients, and Magellan’s California Board of Directors. In addition, he provided operational oversight for external representation of the California business with regulatory and governmental agencies in California.

As the vice president of Autism for Magellan, Yagnesh oversaw both the autism and ABA product (known publicly as Autism Connections) for Magellan nationally. His team of BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) and licensed clinicians provided a unique experience in ABA UM (Utilization Management) as they all have similar experience with real-world experience. Yagnesh also made decisions for ABA both at Magellan and nationally, with participation in workgroups such as ICHOM, speaking at conferences and universities, and developing outcomes measures for ABA.

After joining Magellan in 2016, Yagnesh transformed the ABA department. When he first came on there were a total of 7 people in the department. In early 2025, the department had reached 50 employees, which was a direct result of new contract wins, growth within health plans (expansion of the benefit), and partnering with plans in states where the ABA benefit was going live for the first time. Driving medically necessary determinations through ongoing conversations with providers has resonated with the industry, as demonstrated by the department’s ongoing growth.