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Committee backs bill to require insurance coverage for post‑acute brain‑injury rehab, with fiscal guardrails
Summary
Senate Bill 295, which would require coverage for medically necessary treatment for people with acquired brain injuries (including cognitive rehabilitation), was reported as amended; sponsors and providers said coverage can reduce long‑term Medicaid costs and improve return‑to‑work outcomes.
The House Insurance Committee reported Senate Bill 295 as amended after advocates described gaps in coverage for cognitive and residential post‑acute brain rehabilitation.
Sen. Wheat, sponsor of SB 295, said the bill would require insurers to cover medically necessary treatments for persons with acquired brain injuries but includes amendments to avoid forcing the state to absorb costs where federal rules would require state funding. Committee staff read amendment set 5708, which narrows the scope where state fiscal exposure would be triggered.
Kimberly Hill, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana, testified that fewer than half of people with brain injuries return to work and that many are discharged from hospitals without access to appropriate cognitive rehabilitation. "When people don't receive the care they need, the result is higher cost to families, higher cost to Medicaid and the state, as well as lost opportunities for our citizens to work," she said.
Miriam Travis, program director at NeuroRestorative, said her program sees a 45 percent return‑to‑work rate among participants and described patients who regain independence after receiving intensive therapies that are often not covered by private insurance.
The committee adopted the amendment set and reported the bill as amended by unanimous consent. Sponsors said the amendment reduces the fiscal note and that long‑term savings to state programs are expected if more survivors receive rehabilitation instead of long‑term institutional care.
What’s next: SB 295 is now reported out of committee and may proceed toward floor consideration with the adopted amendment set.
