Commerce Committee releases bill to require insurance, Medicaid coverage for stuttering treatment

The Senate Commerce Committee on Feb. 10, 2025, voted to release Senate Bill 3558, which would require health insurance plans and the state Medicaid program to cover treatment for stuttering.

Supporters told the committee that limited coverage forces families to pay out of pocket or forgo therapy. “I am Michael Kidd Gilchrist, and I have a stutter,” said Michael Kidd Gilchrist, who described lifelong effects and thanked lawmakers for hearing his testimony. Tracy Paris Benjamin, the mother of an 11‑year‑old who has stuttered since age 4, said she paid out of pocket for seven years and reduced therapy because of cost. “I paid out of pocket for the past seven years. The cost is about $300 a month,” Benjamin said.

The bill’s supporters said expanded coverage would improve access and reduce stigma. Emily Root, a speech‑language pathologist who trains graduate students and treats people who stutter, told the committee that stuttering is a communication disorder that is not linked to intelligence and that about 25% of children who do not “grow out…