A proposed Medicare payment change could make pediatric speech therapy harder to sustain and harder for families to access. Ivy Health is joining providers, clinicians, families, and advocates in speaking up for continued access to this essential care.
Communication is part of how children connect with the world around them. It can look like saying a first word. Telling a parent what happened at school. Asking for help. Joining a conversation with a friend. Finding a way to express a thought, feeling, or need.
For many children, speech-language therapy helps make those moments possible. And right now, a proposed federal payment change is raising concerns about how easily families will be able to access that care in the future.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which includes changes that could reduce reimbursement for certain pediatric speech-language pathology services. The proposal is not final, and CMS is accepting public comments through September 14, 2026.
Industry analysis cited by the Speech Therapy Action Taskforce (STAT) estimates that the proposed methodology could result in an approximately 13% reduction in reimbursement for affected pediatric speech therapy services. Because some Medicaid programs and commercial payers use Medicare payment methodologies or rates as reference points, advocates are also concerned that the effects could extend beyond Medicare.
This Isn’t Just About a Billing Code
This is about whether children can get the care they need.
Approximately 1 in 14 U.S. children ages 3–17 has a voice, speech, or language disorder, and fewer than two-thirds of those children receive intervention services in a given year, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Access is already a challenge for many families. Further pressure on reimbursement could make it more difficult for providers to maintain or expand pediatric speech therapy services, particularly in communities where access is already limited.
That’s why Ivy Health is proud to support the Speech Therapy Action Taskforce (STAT), a coalition working to keep pediatric speech therapy within reach for children and families.
STAT is asking CMS to preserve current reimbursement levels while gathering pediatric-specific cost data before implementing reductions that could affect access to care.
For Ivy Health, the issue is straightforward: We are not defending a billing code. We are advocating for children and families.
Why Ivy Is Speaking Up
Therapy providers see what access looks like up close. We see what it means when a family can get an appointment when they need one. We also see the challenges that arise when waitlists grow, provider capacity is limited, or care becomes harder to reach.
Good policy benefits from that front-line perspective.
By participating in STAT, Ivy Health is helping bring together clinicians, providers, families, and other advocates to share what they’re seeing and encourage policymakers to consider the realities of delivering pediatric speech therapy.
We’re not trying to predict what will happen if the proposal is finalized. But we are trying to make sure potential consequences for children, families, and providers are considered before a final decision is made.
There’s Still Time to Be Heard
CMS has opened a public comment period on the proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule through September 14, 2026. CMS specifically invites interested members of the public, including providers and Medicare beneficiaries, to submit comments as part of the rulemaking process.
People who want to support continued access to pediatric speech therapy can:
- Sign the Community Statement — add your name in support of protecting access to pediatric speech therapy.
- Share the message — help more families, clinicians, and partners understand what’s at stake.
- Stay engaged — follow STAT for updates as the rulemaking process continues.
Because every child deserves the opportunity to communicate, connect, learn and thrive. And sometimes protecting that opportunity means making a little noise.