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HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to coverage for treatment of 2
stuttering; amending s. 409.906, F.S.; authorizing the 3
Agency for Health Care Administration to pay for 4
certain services and devices as a treatment of 5
stuttering for Medicaid recipients; providing 6
requirements for such coverages; authorizing speech 7
therapy in person and via telehealth as a treatment 8
for stuttering; authorizing the agency to include the 9
use of certain communication technologies, 10
applications, and platforms for such telehealth 11
treatment; providing definitions; authorizing the 12
agency to seek federal approval for a specified 13
purpose; creating ss. 627.64192, 627.66912, and 14
641.3109, F.S.; providing definitions; requiring 15
certain individual health insurance policies, group 16
health insurance policies, and health maintenance 17
contracts, respectively, to provide coverage for 18
specified services and devices as treatment for 19
stuttering; providing requirements for such coverages; 20
authorizing speech therapy in person and via 21
telehealth; providing requirements for telehealth 22
coverages; providing an effective date. 23
24
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 25
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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Section 1. Subsection (30) is added to section 409.906, 27
Florida Statutes, to read: 28
409.906 Optional Medicaid services.—Subject to specific 29
appropriations, the agency may make payments for services which 30
are optional to the state under Title XIX of the Social Security 31
Act and are furnished by Medicaid providers to recipients who 32
are determined to be eligible on the dates on which the services 33
were provided. Any optional service that is provided shall be 34
provided only when medically necessary and in accordance with 35
state and federal law. Optional services rendered by providers 36
in mobile units to Medicaid recipients may be restricted or 37
prohibited by the agency. Nothing in this section shall be 38
construed to prevent or limit the agency from adjusting fees, 39
reimbursement rates, lengths of stay, number of visits, or 40
number of services, or making any other adjustments necessary to 41
comply with the availability of moneys and any limitations or 42
directions provided for in the General Appropriations Act or 43
chapter 216. If necessary to safeguard the state's systems of 44
providing services to elderly and disabled persons and subject 45
to the notice and review provisions of s. 216.177, the Governor 46
may direct the Agency for Health Care Administration to amend 47
the Medicaid state plan to delete the optional Medicaid service 48
known as "Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally 49
Disabled." Optional services may include: 50
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(30) HABILITATIVE AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES AND DEVICES 51
FOR TREATMENT OF STUTTERING.— 52
(a) The agency may pay for the following services and 53
devices as a treatment of stuttering for a recipient: 54
1. Habilitative services and devices, including 55
habilitative speech therapy, regardless of whether the 56
stuttering is classified as developmental. 57
2. Rehabilitative services and devices, including 58
rehabilitative speech therapy. 59
3. Both habilitative services and devices and 60
rehabilitative services and devices as provided in subparagraphs 61
1. and 2., respectively. 62
(b)1. The coverage for habilitative services and devices 63
and rehabilitative services and devices provided under paragraph 64
(a) is not subject to any limit: 65
a. On the number of visits a recipient may make to a 66
speech-language pathologist; or 67
b. Based on the type of disease, injury, disorder, or 68
other medical condition that resulted in the stuttering. 69
2. The habilitative speech therapy and rehabilitative 70
speech therapy provided under paragraph (a) may be rendered in 71
person or via telehealth. For reimbursement for speech therapy 72
rendered via telehealth, the agency may also include the use of 73
any communication technology, application, or platform to 74
deliver telehealth services which complies with applicable 75
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and 76
Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. ss. 1320d et seq., as 77
amended. 78
(c) As used in this subsection, the term: 79
1. "Habilitative services and devices" means health care 80
services and assistive technology devices that help a person 81
learn, maintain, or improve skills and functioning for daily 82
living. 83
2. "Habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy that 84
helps a person learn, maintain, or improve skills and 85
functioning for daily living. 86
3. "Rehabilitative services and devices" means restorative 87
and remedial services and assistive technology devices that 88
maintain or enhance the current level of functioning of a person 89
if there is a possibility of improvement or reversal of 90
impairment. 91
4. "Rehabilitative speech therapy" means restorative and 92
remedial speech therapy that maintains or enhances the current 93
level of functioning of a person if there is a possibility of 94
improvement or reversal of impairment. 95
(d) The agency may seek federal approval necessary to 96
implement this subsection. 97
Section 2. Section 627.64192, Florida Statutes, is created 98
to read: 99
627.64192 Coverage for treatment of stuttering.— 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(1) As used in this section, the term: 101
(a) "Habilitative services and devices" means health care 102
services and assistive technology devices that help a person 103
learn, maintain, or improve skills and functioning for daily 104
living. 105
(b) "Habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy 106
that helps a person learn, maintain, or improve skills and 107
functioning for daily living. 108
(c) "Rehabilitative services and devices" means 109
restorative and remedial services and assistive technology 110
devices that maintain or enhance the current level of 111
functioning of a person if there is a possibility of improvement 112
or reversal of impairment. 113
(d) "Rehabilitative speech therapy" means restorative and 114
remedial speech therapy that maintains or enhances the current 115
level of functioning of a person if there is a possibility of 116
improvement or reversal of impairment. 117
(2)(a) A health insurance policy that provides coverage 118
for: 119
1. Habilitative services and devices must provide coverage 120
for habilitative services and devices as a treatment for 121
stuttering, including habilitative speech therapy, regardless of 122
whether the stuttering is classified as developmental. 123
2. Rehabilitative services and devices must provide 124
coverage for rehabilitative services and devices as a treatment 125
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
for stuttering, including rehabilitative speech therapy. 126
3. Both habilitative services and devices and 127
rehabilitative services and devices must provide the coverages 128
required under subparagraphs 1. and 2. 129
(b) The coverage for habilitative services and devices and 130
rehabilitative services and devices required under paragraph 131
(a): 132
1. May not be subject to: 133
a. Any limit on maximum annual benefits, including any 134
limit on the number of visits an insured may make to a speech-135
language pathologist; 136
b. Any limit based on the type of disease, injury, 137
disorder, or other medical condition that resulted in the 138
stuttering; or 139
c. Any utilization review or utilization management 140
requirement, including prior authorization or a determination 141
that the habilitative services and devices or rehabilitative 142
services and devices are medically necessary. 143
2. Must include coverage for speech therapy provided in 144
person and via telehealth. The telehealth coverage provided 145
under this paragraph: 146
a. May not be less than the coverage for in-person speech 147
therapy. 148
b. Must include the use of any communication technology, 149
application, or platform to deliver telehealth services which 150
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
complies with applicable privacy provisions of the Health 151
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. 152
ss. 1320d et seq., as amended. 153
Section 3. Section 627.66912, Florida Statutes, is created 154
to read: 155
627.66912 Coverage for treatment of stuttering.— 156
(1) As used in this section, the term: 157
(a) "Habilitative services and devices" means health care 158
services and assistive technology devices that help a person 159
learn, maintain, or improve skills and functioning for daily 160
living. 161
(b) "Habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy 162
that helps a person learn, maintain, or improve skills and 163
functioning for daily living. 164
(c) "Rehabilitative services and devices" means 165
restorative and remedial services and assistive technology 166
devices that maintain or enhance the current level of 167
functioning of a person if there is a possibility of improvement 168
or reversal of impairment. 169
(d) "Rehabilitative speech therapy" means restorative and 170
remedial speech therapy that maintains or enhances the current 171
level of functioning of a person if there is a possibility of 172
improvement or reversal of impairment. 173
(2)(a) A health insurance policy that provides coverage 174
for: 175
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
1. Habilitative services and devices must provide coverage 176
for habilitative services and devices as a treatment for 177
stuttering, including habilitative speech therapy, regardless of 178
whether the stuttering is classified as developmental. 179
2. Rehabilitative services and devices must provide 180
coverage for rehabilitative services and devices as a treatment 181
for stuttering, including rehabilitative speech therapy. 182
3. Both habilitative services and devices and 183
rehabilitative services and devices must provide the coverages 184
required under subparagraphs 1. and 2. 185
(b) The coverage for habilitative services and devices and 186
rehabilitative services and devices required under paragraph 187
(a): 188
1. May not be subject to: 189
a. Any limit on maximum annual benefits, including any 190
limit on the number of visits an insured may make to a speech-191
language pathologist; 192
b. Any limit based on the type of disease, injury, 193
disorder, or other medical condition that resulted in the 194
stuttering; or 195
c. Any utilization review or utilization management 196
requirement, including prior authorization or a determination 197
that the habilitative services and devices or rehabilitative 198
services and devices are medically necessary. 199
2. Must include coverage for speech therapy provided in 200
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
person and via telehealth. The telehealth coverage provided 201
under this paragraph: 202
a. May not be less than the coverage for in-person speech 203
therapy. 204
b. Must include the use of any communication technology, 205
application, or platform to deliver telehealth services which 206
complies with applicable privacy provisions of the Health 207
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. 208
ss. 1320d et seq., as amended. 209
Section 4. Section 641.3109, Florida Statutes, is created 210
to read: 211
641.3109 Coverage for treatment of stuttering.— 212
(1) As used in this section, the term: 213
(a) "Habilitative services and devices" means health care 214
services and assistive technology devices that help a person 215
learn, maintain, or improve skills and functioning for daily 216
living. 217
(b) "Habilitative speech therapy" means speech therapy 218
that helps a person learn, maintain, or improve skills and 219
functioning for daily living. 220
(c) "Rehabilitative services and devices" means 221
restorative and remedial services and assistive technology 222
devices that maintain or enhance the current level of 223
functioning of a person if there is a possibility of improvement 224
or reversal of impairment. 225
HB 785 2026
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
(d) "Rehabilitative speech therapy" means restorative and 226
remedial speech therapy that maintains or enhances the current 227
level of functioning of a person if there is a possibility of 228
improvement or reversal of impairment. 229
(2)(a) A health maintenance contract that provides 230
coverage for: 231
1. Habilitative services and devices must provide coverage 232
for habilitative services and devices as a treatment for 233
stuttering, including habilitative speech therapy, regardless of 234
whether the stuttering is classified as developmental. 235
2. Rehabilitative services and devices must provide 236
coverage for rehabilitative services and devices as a treatment 237
for stuttering, including rehabilitative speech therapy. 238
3. Both habilitative services and devices and 239
rehabilitative services and devices must provide the coverages 240
required under subparagraphs 1. and 2. 241
(b) The coverage for habilitative services and devices and 242
rehabilitative services and devices required under paragraph 243
(a): 244
1. May not be subject to: 245
a. Any limit on maximum annual benefits, including any 246
limit on the number of visits a subscriber may make to a speech-247
language pathologist; 248
b. Any limit based on the type of disease, injury, 249
disorder, or other medical condition that resulted in the 250
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
stuttering; or 251
c. Any utilization review or utilization management 252
requirement, including prior authorization or a determination 253
that the habilitative services and devices or rehabilitative 254
services and devices are medically necessary. 255
2. Must include coverage for speech therapy provided in 256
person and via telehealth. The telehealth coverage provided 257
under this paragraph: 258
a. May not be less than the coverage for in-person speech 259
therapy. 260
b. Must include the use of any communication technology, 261
application, or platform to deliver telehealth services which 262
complies with applicable privacy provisions of the Health 263
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. 264
ss. 1320d et seq., as amended. 265
Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 266