08/20/2025
Dear Families,
We need your help. Recently, North Carolina proposed a 3% cut to Medicaid rates for speech, occupational, and physical therapy services. This is alarming because:
• It has been 21 years since the last Medicaid rate increase for therapy.
• Today, rates are actually 9% lower than they were two decades ago.
• Costs to run clinics (rent, supplies, staff wages, continuing education) have gone up dramatically, but Medicaid reimbursement has not kept pace.
To put this in perspective—Medicaid reimburses less for a 30-minute therapy session than what many people pay for a haircut or a dog grooming appointment. Yet our therapists complete graduate-level education, national board exams, and years of specialized training to serve children and families.
What this means for your child:
These cuts make it harder for clinics like ours to keep staff, provide consistent services, and expand access to children who desperately need therapy. Without action, families could face longer waitlists, fewer therapy options, and difficulty accessing care in their own communities. This includes clinics and providers ending contracts with Medicaid.
How you can help:
We are asking you to take a few minutes to contact your legislators and urge them to:
👉 Include a Medicaid rate increase for therapy services in the final state budget, in alignment with the proposed House budget.
Here’s how to make your message powerful:
• Share your child’s story—how therapy has helped them thrive at school, at home, and in the community.
• Remind them of the importance of communication, independence, and inclusion for your child’s future.
• Ask them to invest in the people who make that possible—speech, occupational, and physical therapists.
• Find your legislator here: Representation - North Carolina General Assembly
If you’re comfortable, you can also invite your legislator to come see therapy in action at our clinic. Sometimes the most powerful thing is for them to witness the hard work and success of children like yours.
Your voice matters. Legislators need to hear from families about how these decisions affect real children in their communities. Together, we can help ensure that kids across North Carolina continue receiving the life-changing services they deserve. Find your legislator here: Representation - North Carolina General Assembly
Thank you for standing with us,
Pender Pediatric Therapy
