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Committee approves narrow expansion of in‑home therapy coverage for Medicaid recipients
Summary
The Oklahoma House Public Health Committee approved a bill to expand in‑home physical, occupational and speech therapy coverage for Medicaid patients and raise certain Medicaid rates from 93% to 96% of Medicare, with an estimated state share cost range provided by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA).
A committee bill request to expand coverage for in‑home physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for Medicaid patients passed the Oklahoma House Public Health Committee by a recorded vote.
The bill was presented as a request from the Oklahoma Association of Home Care and Hospice and described as aimed at rural patients who face transportation barriers. Bradley Downs, legislative liaison for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, told the committee OHCA “covers PT, OT, and speech therapy, for kids and then for very limited for adults. This change has a would change us from 93 percent of the Medicare rate to 96,” and that staff were working on a physical fiscal impact for the coverage change.
Committee members asked for additional detail on current coverage limits and fiscal impact. Representative Pablo asked, “It's 96%. What do they cover now?” Downs replied he did not know the precise answer and said he would follow up. Representative West pressed for cost estimates; Downs said the state share of expanding services the committee does not currently cover would be “about 1 and a half million to 2 and a half million” and that the 3‑point rate increase from 93% to 96% would be roughly “about 550,000.”
After the questions the committee moved the bill and approved it on a recorded vote. Committee staff reported the tally as five yeas, zero nays; Representative Burns declared the bill passed.
The committee record did not identify the bill number in the transcript excerpt and did not capture the mover or seconder by name. The presenter who opened the discussion was not named in the transcript excerpt.
