This bill amends the Insurance Company Law of 1921 to expand coverage for speech therapy related to childhood stuttering by including treatment for apraxia. Specifically, it mandates that health insurance policies offered, issued, or renewed in Pennsylvania must provide coverage for both habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy treatments for these conditions. The bill clarifies that coverage is subject to the terms of the health insurance policy, including medical necessity and cost-sharing provisions, and it specifies that insurers are not required to cover school-based speech therapy solely based on its inclusion in an individualized education program.

Additionally, the bill introduces a definition for "apraxia," describing it as a neurological childhood speech sound disorder that affects the precision and consistency of speech movements without neuromuscular deficits. The act outlines the meanings of various terms related to speech therapy, including "habilitative" and "rehabilitative" treatments. The provisions of this act will apply to health insurance policies filed or renewed 180 days after its effective date, which is set to be 60 days after the bill's passage.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1017 (Mar 18, 2025): P.L.682, No.284
Printer's No. 1017: P.L.682, No.284