Kidd’s Stuttering Act

Key Points

• Starting January 1, 2027, Medicaid and CHIP must cover speech therapy for children with stuttering and other childhood-onset fluency disorders. This ensures that low-income families can access treatment that some states may currently limit or exclude.
• By 2027, well-child visits under Medicaid must include screening for stuttering in children ages 2 through 5. Early detection during routine checkups helps identify kids who need help before speech patterns become harder to change.
• States cannot place stricter limits on stuttering therapy than they do on therapy for other speech problems like articulation or language disorders. This parity requirement prevents Medicaid programs from treating stuttering as a lesser condition.
• Speech therapy sessions for stuttering can be delivered through telehealth, using real-time video and audio technology. This is especially helpful for families in rural areas or those who have trouble traveling to see a specialist in person.
• The HHS Secretary must update the core child health quality measures to include screening for childhood-onset fluency disorders by January 1, 2026, establishing a federal standard for tracking how well states identify stuttering in young children.