Banks and Kim introduce bill to require Medicare and Medicaid stuttering screening

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at improving how children who stutter are identified and connected to care, proposing changes through the federal Medicare and Medicaid health coverage programs.

The bill is titled the Kidd’s Stuttering Act. Banks and Kim said the measure would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, to add screening for stuttering and fluency. The goal, as described by the senators, is earlier recognition of stuttering-related speech challenges and better access to appropriate treatment.

Banks and Kim’s announcement also included Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a former NBA player, who is described as backing the legislation. The involvement of Kidd-Gilchrist is being used by the sponsors to highlight the focus on children and the need for more consistent clinical screening and follow-up.

Under the legislation’s approach, CMS would be directed to incorporate stuttering and fluency screening into relevant federal health program processes. The sponsors framed the proposal as a way to standardize identification of speech disfluency in pediatric settings that interact with Medicare and Medicaid, potentially reducing delays between the onset of symptoms and the start of evaluation or therapy.

Medicare generally covers older Americans and certain disability groups, while Medicaid is administered by states but funded jointly with the federal government. The bill would operate through CMS, which oversees national rules for how the programs are structured and administered, meaning the screening requirement would be expected to flow through federal guidance and implementation tied to the program’s coverage and care delivery standards.

If enacted, the practical effect would depend on how CMS operationalizes the screening requirement, including which pediatric encounters are covered and what clinical tools are used for identifying stuttering and fluency issues. The legislation as introduced is intended to move screening into the broader Medicare and Medicaid framework rather than leaving identification entirely to individual clinicians or non-standardized practice patterns.

The measure adds a new speech-disorder screening topic to a set of health coverage decisions that typically balance clinical effectiveness, administrative feasibility, and program coverage rules. As with other CMS-directed requirements, the timeline for implementation would likely hinge on CMS rulemaking, guidance, and coordination with providers and state Medicaid programs, if the bill advances through the legislative process.