Legislation making its way to the Texas House could partially restore funding cut from speech, occupational and physical therapy services for disabled children.
House Bill 25, authored by Sarah Davis (R-Houston), would appropriate $79 million in federal and state funds to the commission for Medicaid acute therapy services in 2018. The bill, which has four co-authors, would appropriate $84.1 million in 2019.
The bill, which was voted out of committee, has received bipartisan support, according to a statement from State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin). HB 25 now moves on to the Texas House.
Rodriguez added HB 25 demanded “the legislature’s immediate attention” after severe budget cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates for acute therapy for children were made during the 2015 Legislative session.
“Disabled children don’t enjoy the same fierce representation by paid advocates as the special interests who often shape the legislature’s agenda behind the scenes ... Instead, it’s up to us – the members of the Texas Legislature – to set aside our differences and work together on their behalf. Every day we spend clashing over wedge issues represents a failure of leadership.”
State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin)
Those cuts, which went into effect in December, eliminated $350 million in state and federal funding to Medicaid children’s therapy services.
As a result, several providers have left the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program due to the lack of funding, according to a Texas Tribune report, leaving the program in a state of limbo.
ECI is a statewide program for families with children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays, disabilities or certain diagnoses, such as Autism.
“Disabled children don’t enjoy the same fierce representation by paid advocates as the special interests who often shape the legislature’s agenda behind the scenes,” Rodriguez said in his statement. “Instead, it’s up to us – the members of the Texas Legislature – to set aside our differences and work together on their behalf. Every day we spend clashing over wedge issues represents a failure of leadership.”
He added HB 25 is an opportunity for the legislature to “correct our past mistakes.”
The importance of therapy services for children living with developmental disabilities is never lost with Kyle resident and foster parent Dena Dupuie.
It was through those services that Dupuie helped her now adopted daughter, Brianna, overcome complications from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffered when a babysitter shook her ten years ago.
Through ECI, Dupuie was able to receive occupational, physical and speech therapies for her daughter.
Dupuie was taught sign language, as well as the use of cards and pictures of items, as a way to communicate with her daughter. Occupational and Physical Therapy also provided Dena valuable tools to assist with Brianna as well.
“They helped establish a solid foundation for Brianna to be able to get her life back on track that a typically developing child would do,” Dupuie said.
But Dupuie said she’s also has been hindered by the severe budget cuts to children’s therapy services. Her daughter lost access to physical therapy after their provider left ECI due to the cuts.
However, when she called Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to find an alternate provider, she was told the nearest physical therapist would require a 1,200 mile round trip drive.
“They told me that’s acceptable,” Dena said. “I told them they’re out of their cotton-pickin’ mind.”
Other hurdles include the possibility of services being cut altogether, which would require a parent to reapply with the HHSC. Dupuie said she waited for roughly six months before her daughter’s case was reevaluated.
Dupuie, who was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the HHSC, said the legislature’s cuts in 2015 were made based on what she believes was “faulty data.”
Now Dupuie has joined other parents in trying to get legislators to restore funding back to children’s therapy services. Dupuie said she’s contacted Gov. Greg Abbott’s office to address funding in the special session. She’s also attended several committee hearings regarding the topic.
Dupuie and her husband, Scott, are also trying to help donate money to non-profit organizations such as ECI.
Working as realtors in the Dripping Springs area, the Dupuies offer to give 10 percent of their commission to homebuyer’s charity of choice.
“I don’t want to see (ECI) go away. We know it’s in jeopardy. We want to do our part to raise money for them and ensure it stays to help children in Central Texas,” Dupuie said.
