Do insurance companies cover speech therapy?

[brz]

Colleagues,

Please, in your country, do insurance companies cover speech therapy?
Which rights does a PWS have in your country?
In your country, do insurance companies cover psychology therapy?

Many thanks,
sanderson

[J1S]

Ive never been able to get my insurance company to cover it. Apparently its not important enough.

I'm in Canada

[chrondog06]

I've been in the medical insurance industry for 20 years now, and most companies in the U.S. don't cover Speech Therapy for adults. Some cover S.T. for children only, most don't. I've been seeing a Psychiatrist for the last 2 years for my stuttering/blocking. I've been taking Xanax CR for 1.5 years now and it's greatly diminished my blocking. My worst blocks occured when taking phone calls at work or introducing myself to strangers. The Xanax relaxes me and takes my mind off stuttering and scanning ahead for words. Now, the words just come out pretty effortlessly. Hope this helps you.

[happy7117]

I've been in the medical insurance industry for 20 years now, and most companies in the U.S. don't cover Speech Therapy for adults. Some cover S.T. for children only, most don't. .

That's not fair. If insurance companies cover therapy for children, they should be able to cover therapy as well for us adult stutterers!

I've been taking Xanax CR for 1.5 years now and it's greatly diminished my blocking. My worst blocks occured when taking phone calls at work or introducing myself to strangers. The Xanax relaxes me and takes my mind off stuttering and scanning ahead for words

What is Xanax CR?? It might help with my stuttering as well!

What does it mean to "scan ahead for words"?

[happy7117]

Apparently its not important enough

Stuttering is an extremely important issue to get help for! These companies need to show empathy and compassion for us!

[chrondog06]

Happy, the drug that I use is Xanax XR(not CR..sorry). I take the generic version which is Alprazolam. Much cheaper than brand name. Some people take Celexa along with Xanax with good results. I was always worried, anxious and panicky about speaking in front of others. Constantly thinking about stuttering and embarresing myself. The Xanax XR relieves the anxiety and panickiness. Now, I don't think about speaking and stuttering, and the words come out pretty darn good. I also don't scan ahead for words that I know will give me trouble. In the past, when I thought about certain words that gave me trouble......BAM, I would block on them. Now, I don't even think about those words and they come out nicely with no stutter. As with most stutterers, we tend to be introverted and shy because we don't want to embarress ourselves. Now, I can actually tell a joke in front of others without stuttering or blocking. Try Googling Alprazolam and Celexa for Stuttering and you will see several different case studies on these drugs. Xanax is a benzoid drug so it can be addictive for some. I only take it M-F(for work). I've never been a severe stutterer like some, but to me, any stutter is rough. Another valuable learning tool for me is NLP(Neuro Linguist Programming). Check out Bobby Bodenhamers site and he explains many ways to overcome stuttering. John Harrison also has many valuable tips to overcome stuttering. Just Google these names and you will see what i'm talking about. Good luck.

[peebee]

Hey J1S, just letting you know that you actually can get free speech therapy covered by Medicare. Although I dont know if it's different in Alberta, I know in Ontario there are a few government employed speech therapists! You may have to drive quite a while though! to your appointments!

[Adrian]

It depends on the insurance company. I had insurance a few years back that did cover speech therapy, but I had to go to one of their approved therapists. Their was only one in my area so I went in for an evaluation. The first thing she said to me was that she knew nothing about stuttering and she was not sure she could help me. I appreciated her honesty and that she did not want to waste my time, but I did not go back.

[Jamesthe1st]

Stuttering is an extremely important issue to get help for! These companies need to show empathy and compassion for us!

Don't want to burst your bubble but many people in the United states have problems either

A) Obtaining health care
B) Receiving life saving treatment from diseases.

I watched Micheal moore's movie on healthcare. If even half of what he says is true, I would be scared to live in the U.S

[Jamesthe1st]

Don't want to burst your bubble but many people in the United states have problems either

A) Obtaining health care
B) Receiving life saving treatment from diseases.

I watched Micheal moore's movie on healthcare. If even half of what he says is true, I would be scared to live in the U.S

People with diseases need compassion before we do.

[happy7117]

.I watched Micheal moore's movie on healthcare. If even half of what he says is true, I would be scared to live in the U.S

What did this Michael Moore say that would make you scared to live in the US?

[happy7117]

People with diseases need compassion before we do.

In my opinion, I think compassion for stutterers and compassion for those with diseases are equaly important. I don't know if people with diseases should be given more compassion than us stutterers.

I think diseases and stuttering are equaly painfull to live with, so both need equal empathy.

[Jamesthe1st]

What did this Michael Moore say that would make you scared to live in the US?

-That over 1 million people in the U.S.A have no access to healthcare.

-They can exclude you from certain live saving treatments.

-The fact that Health care has become a business rather than a service. If you want i can give you a link to a website that has quite a few movies you can watch via streaming. Including Micheal Moore's video.

[Adrian]

-That over 1 million people in the U.S.A have no access to healthcare.

-They can exclude you from certain live saving treatments.

-The fact that Health care has become a business rather than a service. If you want i can give you a link to a website that has quite a few movies you can watch via streaming. Including Micheal Moore's video.

There certainly are problems in the US healthcare system, but Michael Moore is not the person to be getting your information from. He is an entertainer who will bend the truth to sell tickets, not a true journalist.

[chrondog06]

Micheal Moore is a propagandist and a phony. HIs agenda is to scare people into thinking that socialized medicine is the best. Why do people from all over the world come to the U.S. to get the best health care? Because they know that the best healthcare is here in the U.S. As far as 1 million people not having access to healthcare, B.S. Everyone is this great country has access to healthcare. The question is who will pay for it? Illegal Aliens get free healthcare all the time via Emergency Room visits. They don't pay a dime. The hospitals just pass it on to the taxpayers. Most poor people are covered by the state Medicaid programs. Also, lots of young people in their 20's don't bother getting health insurance because they think they are invincible and won't get sick. I'd rather have the U.S. healthcare system than any other healthcare system in the world.

[Bud]

Check this page for information on insurance coverage for stuttering http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=44

[Jim22]

Bud -

Thanks for posting the therapy for stutterers insurance coverage link and doing all the research you must have done to find it in the first place.

Members like you are a real hlep to the Forum.

Jim

[Bud]

Thanks for the compliment, Jim. Helping people who stutter was my assignment when each of my uncles was on their deathbed. I come from a family of stutterers, however, I got other family afflictions such as diabetes, heart problems, etc. (and of course arthritis and just plain "old age problems" that aren't genetic) Since I am pretty much stuck at home, I can spend time on the computer. I am happy to be able to help in some small way.