Children with Down syndrome are amazing communicators, but sometimes their verbal language skills are a little behind their other developmental milestones. Speech therapy is a critical tool that helps them get the verbal language skills they need for successful socialization. Despite this, insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) often deny coverage of speech therapy.
We learned this when our daughter Lila attended speech therapy over a school break. During the school year, the school provides speech therapy, but during the breaks we rely on our private insurance to get Lila the help she needs. We received a letter saying our insurance would only cover 25% of the costs. Why? Because Lila was born with Down syndrome, so the therapy wouldn’t be considered “restorative.” If Lila had had speech skills and then lost them, BCBS claims it would cover the therapy completely.